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A-Z About Citing Books in MLA 8 Format

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Citing a book itself is an intricate work, let alone using a specific style like MLA. Most students do not know how to cite a book in MLA 8th edition format. If you have no clue about using the MLA 8 format for books citation, you must understand the elements that go into the format.

You can also opt to take help from the professionals at MyAssignmenthelp.com. Our assignment writers can help you understand how to cite a book in MLA 8th edition format. Read on to for insights, tips and more from our experts. 

Elements Required For Making Accurate MLA 8 Citation in a Book

MLA (Modern Language Association) is the most common citation style used for citing books, articles, blogs, assignments, etc. But not many students are familiar with the 8th edition of MLA format. 

Here are the few elements of the MLA citation format for citing a book:

  • Author’s name

Write the last name following the first name while adding the name of the author. There will be a comma between the last name and the first name. Add a period following the first name. (e.g. Sparks, Nicholas.)

In case there is more than one author, arrange the last names of the author alphabetically. But the second author will be written with the first name following the last name and the page number. (e.g. King and Peter 112)

If the author is unknown, move to the next element.

  • Title of book

Italicise the title of the book and end with a period.

  • Publisher’s name and year of publication

First write the name of publication following by the year of publication, separated by a comma and end with a period.

  • Page number

Mention the page number that is being cited by you. Write ‘p’ followed by the period and end it with the page number.

You need to add the elements one after the other as stated above when using the MLA 8th edition format for a book citation. If you do not know how do you cite a book in MLA format, here are some examples to make things easier to understand.

An MLA 8 Citation Guide For All Kinds of Books

  • Citing Paperbacks

Here is a general MLA book citation example: 

Format: “Author’s last name, First name. Title of the book, Name of publisher, Year of the book published, Page number(s)

Example: Sparks, Nicholas. Message in a bottle.Warner, 1998,p.89

If there are two or more sources with the same author, add the first name of the author in the first citation. Add three hyphens in place of author’s name and end it with a period:

Example: —. Message in a bottle.Warner, 1998, 

  • Citing EBooks

Here is how to cite a book online:

Format: Author Surname, First Name, Book title: Subtitle. Publisher, Year. E-book source, URL of the source page

Example: Collins, Suzzane, The Hunger Games: Catching Fires. Scholastic, 2011, E-book source, URL

  • Citing Collection of Story Books

If you do not know how do you cite a story/essay in a textbook MLA, here is the format:

Format: Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of short story or essay”. Title of Book: Subtitle if any. Edition (if given), Publisher’s name, Publication year, Page numbers.

Example: Alarcon, Daniel. “Chicago Tribune.The Water Museum: Penguin, Thomas Nelson, 1990, pp. 123-127.

  • In Text-citation for Books in MLA format

In-text citations are included within the content of the book. As per the 8th edition, we will show you how to do an in-text citation for a book in different scenarios:

  • If there is one author:

Format: (Author’s last name Page number)

Example: (Spark 86)

  • If there are two authors:

Format: (First author’s last name and second author’s last name page number)

Example: (King and Peter Straub 18)

  • In the case of three or more authors:

Format: (First author’s last name et al. Page number)

Example: (Gittens et al. 65)

  • If the book has no author:

Format: (Title page number)

Example: (Safe Heaven 195)

  • Direct quotations

For those of you who do not know how to quote a book in MLA format, you have to enclose the section that you are directly taking from a source with quotation marks. Add in-text citation at the end of the quote. The in-text citation will include the author’s first name page number.

Example: “Direct quote” (Nicholas 167)

  • Long quotations

As per the 8th edition, MLA long quotations will have the following rules.

  • The line before a quotation will end with a colon.
  • No quotation marks apply within the quotation.
  • Right after the quotation, add a period followed by an in-text citation.
  • Long quotations should be indented with 0.5 inches from the rest of the text. This will make it look like a block of text.

Example

Let’s put first things first. You owe your mother the duty of courtesy, much more than you do to your teachers, and I would like to feel that you are not neglectful of that duty. Most families occasionally have their problems, and they manage to solve them in due course; try not to create others unnecessarily. Remember, Pamela, I’m depending on you-we’re both depending on you to play the game from now on; I don’t need to tell you the risks you run on these streets late at night.

(Braithwaite 82)

  • Citing a book title in MLA 8

If you do not know how to cite MLA book title, here is the format:

Format: Last Name, First Name. Title. Publisher, Publication Year.

Example: Christie, Agatha. The ABC Murders. Collins Crime Club, 1936.

Yes, the 8th edition of MLA format of citing books is demanding and confusing. If you do not want to risk your chances of getting accurate results, consult our experts, and they will cite your books accurately. They have years of experiences in this line of work. Consult our experts to know how to cite a book in an essay or how to cite a textbook MLA.

Get help with Citing Books in MLA Format from Our Professionals

Finding it hard to follow the 8th edition of MLA format? We know how difficult it can be to follow the rules of MLA format strictly. Our experts are thorough with the laws of the MLA citation format. Come to us immediately if you do not know how to cite a book in an essay in MLA 8 format.  

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Hi, I am Mark, a Literature writer by profession. Fueled by a lifelong passion for Literature, story, and creative expression, I went on to get a PhD in creative writing. Over all these years, my passion has helped me manage a publication of my write ups in prominent websites and e-magazines. I have also been working part-time as a writing expert for myassignmenthelp.com for 5+ years now. It’s fun to guide students on academic write ups and bag those top grades like a pro. Apart from my professional life, I am a big-time foodie and travel enthusiast in my personal life. So, when I am not working, I am probably travelling places to try regional delicacies and sharing my experiences with people through my blog. 

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