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Let’s Clear This Up: Should You Underline Or Italicize Book Titles? 

If your teachers taught you to underline book titles , it probably didn’t make sense to argue. 

Plus, underlining is just easier when you’re writing things out by hand. 

Not so with texting — or when you’re writing a book of your own.

When you reference your sources, do you underline or italicize book titles?

Are novels italicized or underlined?

And does it matter whether a novel or novelette is part of an anthology ? 

What are the rules worth remembering? 

The Basics: Do You Underline or Italicize Book Titles?

Some exceptions to the rule: should you underline or italicize book titles, punctuating book titles, book title italics or quotes .

  • Do You Italicize Books Like The Lord of the Rings? 

Do You Italicize the Titles of Sacred Books?

What does the ap stylebook recommend.

If your main question is “Do I underline book titles or italicize them?” most style guides recommend the following guidelines: 

  • If you have italics as an option, use it. 
  • If not, underline. 
  • If underlining isn’t an option, use asterisks or under-slashes to set off titles. 

That last one is the way to go when you include a book title in a text message or social media post or comment, where you can’t apply any kind of text formatting. 

Underlining can be problematic with digital text (websites, digital apps, and ebooks) since we now associate it with hyperlinks, even if the font color matches the text around it. 

Probably the most common scenario, when you can underline but not effectively italicize, is when you’re writing something by hand. While you could switch to cursive mid-sentence, underlining is less likely to be dismissed as a random quirk. 

Plus, underlining is easier than cursive. 

We’ve already mentioned one exception to the rule favoring italics. Handwriting makes underlining easier and more obvious. 

Another exception is when you’re submitting text through a web form, which doesn’t allow text formatting (much like texting and social media posts). 

A third exception involves chunks of italicized text that include a book title. In this case, you’ll want to keep the title unitalicized to make it stand out. 

Keep these exceptions in mind when someone asks you, “Do you italicize book titles?” Because they do matter. 

There’s one final exception, which we’ll revisit at the end of this post, and that has to do with the particular style guide you may be using. 

So, what do you do if you’re italicizing a book title and you have to add punctuation — like an apostrophe to show possession — that isn’t part of the title? Do you treat that differently from the punctuation that the author included? 

For the sake of clarity, we keep any added punctuation (apostrophes, dashes , ellipses, etc.) — anything not native to the original title — in regular, non-italicized text. 

Examples: 

  • “Looking at the books stacked nearby, I saw that Blink ’s cover was slightly creased from its days in my purse.”  (The apostrophe-s ending is not italicized because it’s not part of the title.)
  • “She just finished reading Salem’s Lot , and she’d rather not talk about it. Give her time.” (In this case, the apostrophe-s at the end of Salem is part of the title and is italicized.) 

So, are all book titles italicized? And what about titles for smaller works like short stories, magazine articles, and blog posts? 

To keep the rule as simple as possible, ask yourself whether the title in question is for a published container — like a blog, a website, a magazine or scholarly journal, or a complete book — or for something that would be contained. 

Would you find this title on the cover of a finished whole (an album, the cover image for a podcast, etc.) or in a table of contents or a list of songs, poems, or podcast episodes? 

Larger works get the italics treatment, as you’ll see in the following examples:

  • Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed
  • For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
  • Back in Black (album) by AC/DC
  • Live Bold and Bloom (blog)
  • Authority Self Publishing: Marketing, Writing, and Kindle Publishing Tips (podcast)

Smaller works that a larger work could contain get quotation marks. It’s not about which one is more important; it’s about making it easier for readers to tell them apart. 

When you see a story title in quotation marks, you’re more likely to think, “Oh, that must be a short story?” Find a book of short stories and check out the table of contents, and you’ll find quotes around each story’s title. 

Each is a smaller part of the whole collection, which bears an italicized title of its own.  

Do You Italicize Titles of Novels and Books Included in Anthologies? 

So, what about Reader’s Digest Condensed Books (1950-1997) — or Reader’s Digest Select Editions (since 1997)? 

Each of the works included are abridged versions of completed books and novels. 

If you’re looking up some options on Amazon, you’ll see quotation marks around the titles of the books and novels included in each hardcover edition. 

It’s tempting to think the abridgment of the title is the reason for this. But collections like Reader’s Digest editions aren’t the only ones that do this—even when the titles in the collection are unabridged originals. 

Read on for another well-known example.

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Do You Italicize Books Like The Lord of the Rings ? 

Books like LOTR bring together separate books that are all part of a complete series. In LOTR’s case, the complete set is a trilogy with the following titles: 

  • The Fellowship of the Ring
  • The Two Towers
  • The Return of the King

If the book you’re referencing in your own writing is a separate title with its own cover, you’ll italicize the title in-text citations and in your bibliography. 

But if you’re using the complete LOTR trilogy under one cover, you’ll set off any of the enclosed titles with quotation marks — as if they were separate parts of a larger book. 

The same rule applies to other books that include all the titles in a specific series. 

While we do italicize specific editions of sacred books (e.g., The New King James Bible ), we do not generally italicize or underline the generic titles of sacred religious texts: 

  • The Bible (and individual books in the Bible)
  • The Koran / Qur’an and The Hadiths
  • The Vedas and the Upanishads
  • The Tanakh and the Talmud
  • The Tipitaka (Buddhism)

As for the specific books inside the Christian Bible, if you’re referencing a specific verse, you’ll include the name of the book (or an abbreviation), along with the chapter and verse, and text formatted the same as the text around it (e.g., Matt 3:5 or 2 Corinthians 4:16). 

Not all style guides recommend italicizing book titles; the AP Stylebook uses quotation marks instead, maybe just to simplify things.  

That said, publications like Writers Digest use the AP Stylebook but choose to italicize their book titles in deference to their own house rules. 

Whether you go that route will likely depend on what you or your client wants. 

If you’re thoroughly confused right now, the main thing to remember is that in most cases, the rules described above will help you correctly format any book titles you reference in your own writing. 

  • If it’s a container (book, album, podcast, TV series, etc.), use italics.
  • If it’s contained by a container (poem, TV episode, song, etc.), use quotation marks.

When in doubt, check your style guide.  And if you’re writing for someone else, ask them what they prefer or consult their chosen style guide. 

Whatever rules you go with, be consistent. 

Now that you know how to answer the question, “Do you underline book titles or italicize them?” which points stood out for you as most helpful? And what have you learned that you want to remember? 

Should your novel title be underlined and/or italicized? Learn the rules of writing book and novel titles and if these titles have to be underlined and italicized as you read in this post.

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do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

Do You Italicize Book Titles? MLA, Chicago Manual, and APA Rules (Examples)

do you italicize book titles

Whether you are writing a book, a business blog, a research paper, or a magazine article, staying true (and consistent) to grammar and style is extremely important. It makes the entire article/ manuscript consistent and reading easy !

But with so many styles and style guides around, losing track is very common. This is especially true when you are writing titles – of books, stories, poems, chapters, and more – in your articles. Don’t you wonder whether you should underline the book titles, put them in italics, write them in quotation marks , or follow the traditional capital letter style? Well, we all do, and we often find ourselves hovering over different options, completely unsure of which one to choose .

So, should you italicize book titles or underline them?

The general rule says, always italicize book titles, if they are long and complete work. This keeps them distinct and makes them easily recognizable, especially when you are mentioning a book within your content. Italicizing also helps the reader to understand that this particular book is separate from the rest of the work they are reading. However, short titles – of poems, stories, articles, and chapters are often written in quotation marks.

For example:

Long title: Have you read In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust?

Short title: Grab your copy of “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy.

Now, this sometimes, can get very confusing and can put your writing all over the place. So when you are stuck between a right and a wrong, always follow the rule of thumb – How you write book titles in your work is a matter of choice (style). It is not governed by any grammarian law. There is no single source that governs how you must handle titled works and mostly depends on the style guide your publication is following – APA, Chicago, MLA, or any other.

So ask your editor his/ her preference and stick to it across your content. After all, consistency is the key to turning your writing into the most professional-looking copy .

In this article, we’ll help you learn the styling parameters that different style guides follow while writing book titles:

MLA rules for italicizing book titles

MLA stands for Modern Language Association – a United States-based society that styles manuals for students and scholars across the world. The MLA Handbook follows a particular style for documenting book titles, in the text as well as at the end of the article. As per the MLA style guide:

  • Titles that are independent and self-contained are italicized.
  • If the book title has a subtitle, the subtitle is italicized and separated by a colon (:).
  • Titles that are contained in larger works ( e.g. , short stories, chapters) are put in quotations.
  • However, when it comes to series titles, the MLA rules are a little confusing. In MLA, if a series title forms a part of the book title, then it is italicized. Otherwise, it is left in plain text. For example, the ‘Twilight Saga’ is a series title that you won’t italicize because it is not the tile of the book. But Harry Potter (a series title) you will italicize because it also forms a part of the title.  
  • Godfrey, Wyck., et al. The  Twilight Saga :  New Moon . Two-disc special ed. [Los Angeles, CA], Summit Entertainment, 2010.
  • Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 1998.

Chicago Manual of style rules

The Chicago Manual of Style is another widely accepted and used citation system. It is used across various disciplines like the humanities, sciences, social sciences, and more. It has its own style for citing books , titles, and full-length and freestanding works. If you want to follow the Chicago Manual of Style while formatting your book titles, here are some points to remember:

  • Always italicize and capitalize the titles of your full-length, freestanding works. These include books, magazines, journals, blogs, research papers, and more.
  • Online book citation also follows the same format.
  • Chapter titles are always written in quotations and are not italicized.

APA style guide rules

The American Psychological Association (APA) is one of the most common and widely used reference styles. It is mostly used as a citation style for books and manuals written in the field of social sciences, psychology, sociology, and more.  It has its own set of rules for in-text and reference list citations. But when it comes to italicizing the books’ titles, the rules are pretty similar.

  • Though in the APA, italicizing is kept to the bare minimum, long book titles, periodicals, webpages, reports, and standalone work are all italicized.
  • Chapter titles in the APA are neither italicized nor written within quotes; the book titles however are. Also, the name of the chapter’s author is written in the first position.

7th Edition rules

The seventh edition of the APA is the latest edition and its purpose is to help students, scholars, and researchers write and communicate more effectively. Some of the biggest changes brought by the APA in its seventh edition include:

  • The first letter (of the first word) of the title is capitalized.
  • If there is a colon (:) in the title, the first letter after the colon is also capitalized.
  • Proper names in titles are always capital
  • Titles of books, magazines, journals, and newspapers are always italicized.
  • Titles of articles or book chapters are not italicized.
  • The title of the webpage is always italicized.
  • The publisher’s location is no longer included in the reference.

When to Italicize Book Titles

As you could see , when it comes to writing book titles, a common rule applies across all styles ( barring a few exceptions ). So, if you are not following a particular citation style that asks you to do otherwise, this is a general rule that you can easily fall back on:

  • Always italicize the titles of self-contained, independent work: books, albums
  • Always italicize the titles of large books, like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
  • Always italicize magazine names, like The New Yorker
  • Always italicize newspapers, like The New York Times

Italicizing titles creates a visual hierarchy and helps a reference source stand out from the rest of the text.

When to Avoid Italicizing Book Titles?

While most book titles should be italicized, there are some exceptions to the rule:

  • Short titles or titles of smaller works are not italicized. These include titles of short stories, poems, and chapters.
  • The title of the series is not italicized. For example, while you would italicize Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , you would not highlight the Harry Potter Series.
  • Holy Books like The Bible and Quran, along with their sections, are not italicized.
  • Headlines and course titles are also not italicized.

Do You Underline Book Titles?

No, we do not underline book titles . Underlining is an old formatting style that was once extensively used to emphasize certain words, phrases, and titles. But today, due to the availability of extensive formatting options, underlining has lost its mark and is not used as a preferred formatting option.   

However, if you are writing with a medium that does not offer the option to italicize, you may underline the text to emphasize it.

Do You Quote Book Titles?

Books, magazines, newspapers, and series all comprise many smaller parts, like a short poem, a chapter, a short story, and an episode. When citing these small pieces of work, we prefer writing them in quotation marks.

The teacher read a story titled “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl.

I missed the last episode of “Shaun the Sheep”.

 Susan is reading “The Fellowship of the Ring” from the Lord of the Rings .

Do You Italicize Book Series Titles?

While italics are used to emphasize book titles, trilogies and book series titles are only capitalized, not italicized.

What About Children’s Book Titles, Do Those Get Italicized?

Children’s books in style guides get the same treatment as other authored books. That is, titles of full works are italicized but short titles of poems, short stories, articles, or chapters are put within quotation marks. Also, in addition to the author’s name, they also include the illustrator’s name.

  • Italics and Underlining: Titles of Works
  • Treatment of titles
  • Do You Italicize Book Titles In APA? A Must Read
  • Should You Underline Or Italicise Book Titles?
  • Do You Italicize Book Titles? Essay Secrets Revealed
  • Should You Italicize Book Titles? A Guide to Formatting Titles

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do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

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do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

About the author

Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.

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do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

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do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

Properly Format Your Titles: Underlines, Italics, and Quotes | Writer’s Relief

by Writer's Relief Staff | Format Your Writing , Proofreading , Punctuation | 47 comments

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do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

Updated 8/21/19

Formatting titles gives some writers a headache. Should the title of songs, stories, movies, books, screenplays, etc. be in italics or quotes? When you’re trying to remember if you’re supposed to use underlining or italics or quotation marks for titles, here are a few simple rules from Writer’s Relief.

Remember that people used to type their work or write it longhand. When titles needed to be italicized, italics were represented by underlining. These days, many people avoid underlining to minimize confusion between words that are underlined and hyperlinks.

3 Simple Tips For Properly Formatting Titles Of Books, Stories, Poems

1) Underlining and italics serve the same purpose. Never do both. Do NOT use quotation marks, underline, or italics together.

2) For any work that stands on its own, you should use italics or underline. (Stories or chapters from within a book are considered PARTS of the book.)

do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

Quick Formatting Style Guide For Your Titles

Books: Italics or Underline

CDs: Italics or Underline

Articles (Newspaper or Magazine): Quotation Marks

Chapter Titles (not chapter numbers): Quotation Marks

Magazines, Newspapers, Journals: Italics or Underline

Names of Ships, Trains, Airplanes, Spacecraft: Italics

Poems : Quotation Marks

Plays: Italics

Short Stories : Quotation Marks

Song Titles: Quotation Marks

Special Phrases (“let them eat cake”), Words, or Sentences: Quotation Marks

Television Shows and Movies: Italics

Television and Radio Episode Titles: Quotation Marks

Knowing when to use quotes, italics, or underlining can be tricky. Writer’s Relief proofreaders can help you proofread your creative writing submissions to be sure your titles are properly formatted.

For more formatting and writing tips follow Writer’s Relief on Twitter!

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47 Comments

har

The English language is hard, man.

aoeuidhtns

Esperanto is a lot better. I suggest looking into it.

Samuel

That is false, you actually may use both quotes and italics. In certain cases of course.

paola

Thannks! Needed help quickly and got it here 😀

Theresa

this was a really nice resource for writing a paper that drew on multiple types of resources, thanks. only thing I didn’t find was formatting for movies!

Damian

Samuel is correct. You may underline, italicize, or put a quotation mark around the desired title of a book. Many people, (at first,) used to underline the titles of books. People now tend to italicize or put a quotation mark around a title of a book.

Writer's Relief Staff

Whenever possible, italicizing book titles is a must. However, on social media, we prefer to use ALL caps; we may be in the minority for that—according to a recent poll by Grammar Girl: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/formatting-titles-twitter-and-facebook

Nicole

Thanks! I have a huge test tomorrow and needed to get some quick study time in.

Bri

Formatting needs to adjust for social media, italics aand underline doesn’t work across platforms…. we’re living in the internet age still ruled by the before Internet age period. As of yet unnamed. Please some one fix this and also think of a name. Thx

jj

what about sculptures paintings etc?

jj, sculptures and paintings would be italicized.

TF

Great information, thank you. Do you know how webinar titles should be formatted? Thanks you in advance.

TF, webinar titles should be italicized.

olivia

Do you italicize or use quotation marks for the titles of publishers?

Hi, Olivia– Neither. The publisher’s name is just initial capped.

amy lyle

Do all of these rules apply to only books or do they apply to screenplays as well?

javontae mcintyre

Good article!

asdfghjkl

Very helpful article!

johanson

Thanks a bunch!

12

What if I’m typing the title of a song and quoting what someone said about that song in the same sentence? Is it okay to put quotation marks around both the song title and what the person said? I know it’s grammatically correct but it just doesn’t look right and seems confusing.

The correct way to do it is to put both in quotation marks. If you gave a list of song titles in a sentence, each would be in quotation marks, so having multiple sets of items in quotation marks in one sentence is not uncommon.

Ena

Hi, if i want to quote a sentence for text evidence and the author underlined a word in that sentence, then do I have to underline that word when I quote also? Thank You

In copying quoted material, you should follow the extract exactly.

Chloe

What about albums/EP names? Quote or italics for those?

Per the Chicago Manual of Style, titles of music albums are italic.

michele h.

Hi! How would you format a quote from a short story from a series? Would you put the series in italics, but the story title itself in quotes?

Would this be appropriate?

“‘Your cases have indeed been of the greatest interest to me,’ I observed.” – Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, “The Red-Headed League”

L

Is the title of a film series e.g. Star Wars put in italics or quotes?

The name of a specific film is in italics. The name of the series itself doesn’t use italics or quotes. Hope this helps!

Nehemiah Luke

Okay so this sentence The author said “James Joyce’s Dubliners is a circular analysis of stagnation and entrapment leading to both individual and collective death in a dead city.” Am I suppose to italicize that or leave it as be? It was in an article.

Hi Nehemiah,

“Dubliners” is the title of a book, so it would be italicized. If the sentence is in quotation marks, it doesn’t need to be italicized.

TreeGee

I’ve been looking but I can’t find any rules around referring to a blog in copy. Does anyone know the rule for this? The context is as follows>

Joe also writes a blog: Good Grammar

Titles of blogs are in italics.

laku Poker

Hello, I would like to subscribe for this weblog to take latest updates, so where can i do it please assist.

You can sign up for our mailing list here: https://writersrelief.com/submit-write-now/

Angel Langner

I realize this isn’t really about quotation marks, but I get the distinct impression you know your stuff. Perhaps you can answer this question for me. I do transcription and we don’t use italics. Instead, we use quotation marks. Here is the sentence causing me grief:

“Hi, I’m from “Fern”.”

According to the guidelines I need to follow, Fern has to be in quotations because it’s a magazine title. However, this just doesn’t look right to me. It is correct? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

We can’t really speak toward your particular case, since typically a magazine title would be in italics. Your company follows its own guidelines, so the guidelines we follow wouldn’t really apply. You could consider putting the magazine title in all caps, or using single quotations within the double quotations.

Gary

What would you suggest for musical works that are numbered, for example: Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony? Should ‘Fifth Symphony’ be in italics or quotes, or just in normal type?

The title of a musical work is italicized. Whether there is a number in it has no relevance.

Julia Brim

If you were to write the name of a charity, would you italicize, underline, or put it in quotation marks.

We recommend checking the Chicago Manual of Style for a definitive answer.

P

If I am referencing the title of a research paper or special assignment that I wrote, do I put it in quotation marks, or possibly capitalize the first letter in each word? For example:

“The Impact of Globalization on the Global Economy”

Carly

If one character is in dialogue with another and is quoting an extract from for example a Shakespeare play, should the quote be in italics? e.g. “I love the quote ‘I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space’.”?

You would seem to have it correct!

Gordon

Angel Langner, This advice is about a year late, but I never did see an answer for you. Use single quotation marks inside the double quotation marks. “Hi, I’m from ‘Fern.’” Periods and commas are always inside quotation marks.

Hunter

I have a paper on gender. I am trying to figure out what to use for the Me Too and Times up campaigns?

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do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

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Do You Italicize Book Titles?

Kathy Edens

Kathy Edens

Titles

Back in the day, before the internet and blue underlined words meant links to other websites, students were taught to underline the titles of books, magazines, plays, songs, movies, and other titled works. Nowadays, people expect underlined words to be links that take them to even more informative content, so the rules have changed.

Now, in most instances, you italicize book titles, songs, and other full-length works like movies. However, you’ll still find some style guides that require writers to put them in quotation marks. It makes sense to always determine how you’re expected to designate titles of works.

Ultimately, it’s a matter of style and who you’re writing for should tell you the style guide they adhere to, like The Chicago Manual of Style or the AMA Manual of Style . There is no one singular source that governs how to handle titled works. It’s up to you to find out if your source uses the AP guidelines which dictate quotation marks around book titles or another style guide that italicizes.

What if your source doesn’t specify a style guide?

What if a source you’re citing doesn’t italicize published works, default ways to quote books, plays, articles, songs, etc., final thoughts.

Some publications don’t adhere to one style guide over others. If that’s the case, you can ask the editor what his or her preference is, or you can simply pick one way and stick to it across all articles and content. It’s more about consistency than following a style, so if you italicize a book title on page 12 of your article, you better italicize another book title on page 23 later on.

As a writer, your job is to be consistent so you turn in the most professional looking copy across all fronts. Editors will go through your content and make sure you’re consistently using italics or quotation marks for published works titles, but it makes their jobs easier if they’re only looking for the occasional divergence rather than having to implement the correct style from scratch.

Again, it comes down to consistency. If a source you’re citing doesn’t italicize published works, but you’ve chosen that style for your content, you need to stick with it.

For example, say you’ve researched online sources through your library and are referring to the classic book Gone With the Wind . You’re using italics to designate published works in your content, but the source you’re citing uses quotation marks. Stick with your style choice, not the source’s. In this case, regardless of how the source you’re citing sets published works apart, you’ve used italics, so that’s what you stick with.

Italicize longer published works. Use quotation marks for shorter works like chapters, articles, poems, etc. Here are a few examples.

We read A Raisin in the Sun in English class this year. (Title of a play.)

The Wall Street Journal article, "NASA Opens Space Station to Tourists and Businesses," is fascinating. (Title of a publication is italicized while an article in it is set off by quotation marks.)

If you haven’t seen Avengers: Endgame , you’re missing one of the best superhero movies out there. (The title of the movie is italicized.)

I thought the chapter, "Why Mornings Matter (more than you Think)," in The Miracle Morning for Writers was the most powerful. (Chapter titles are set off by quotation marks while book titles are italicized.)

Save underline in your digital content for links to other websites. Don’t confuse readers by underlining book titles as well.

Instead, italicize the titles of published works, and put shorter works in quotation marks. (Unless you’re following the AP Style Guide; they don’t use italics.)

To sum it up, follow the style guide your editor recommends. If he or she doesn’t have a style guide, choose one way and follow it consistently across all your work. Present your most professional work by sticking to a single style; only amateurs are all over the place.

do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

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How to Write Book Titles in Your Essays

How to Write Book Titles in Your Essays

3-minute read

  • 26th May 2023

When writing an essay, you’re likely to mention other authors’ works, such as books, papers, and articles. Formatting the titles of these works usually involves using quotation marks or italics.

So how do you write a book title in an essay? Most style guides have a standard for this – be sure to check that first. If you’re unsure, though, check out our guide below.

Italics or Quotation Marks?

As a general rule, you should set titles of longer works in italics , and titles of shorter works go in quotation marks . Longer works include books, journals, TV shows, albums, plays, etc. Here’s an example of a book mention:

Shorter works include poems, articles, chapters of books, episodes of TV shows, songs, etc. If it’s a piece that’s part of a biggHow to Write Book Titles in Your Essayser work, the piece considered a short work:

Exceptions to the Rule

The rule for writing book titles in italics applies specifically to running text . If the book title is standing on its own, as in a heading, there’s no need to italicize it.

Additionally, if the book is part of a larger series and you’re mentioning both the title of the series and that of the individual book, you can consider the book a shorter work. You would set the title of the series in italics and place the book title in quotation marks:

Punctuation in Book Titles

Do you need to apply italics to the punctuation in a book title? The short answer is yes – but only if the punctuation is part of the title:

If the punctuation isn’t part of the title (i.e., the punctuation is part of the sentence containing the title), you shouldn’t include in the italics:

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Summary: Writing Book Titles in Essays

We hope you’ll now feel confident when you’re writing and formatting book titles in your essays. Generally, you should set the title in italics when it’s in running text. Remember, though, to check your style guide. While the standards we’ve covered are the most common, some style guides have different requirements.

And once you finish writing your paper, make sure you send it our way! We’ll make sure any titles are formatted correctly as well as checking your work for grammar, spelling, punctuation, referencing, and more. Submit a free sample to try our service today.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you write the title of a book in a sentence.

Set the title of the book in italics unless the book is part of a larger work (e.g., a book that’s part of a series):

When do you use quotation marks for titles?

Place titles of shorter works or pieces that are contained in a larger work in quotation marks:

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do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

Italics and Underlining: Titles of Books

mm

When writing, the decision about how to type a title can be particularly vexing. Should you underline the title, use quotations, italicize, or try some one-of-a-kind styling? To make matters more confusing, popular style guides offer different guidelines and grammar rules. Plus, the answer varies, depending on whether you have a book title, chapter title, article title, song title, or movie title on your hands. What’s a grammar enthusiast to do?

Here’s the short answer: italicize book titles. 

In this article, we’ll discuss the recommendations that different style guides make and the history of how these formatting preferences evolved.

do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

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The Chicago Manual of Style

Books: Italics

Magazine Articles: Quotes

Albums: Italics

Poems: Quotes, unless book length

Book Chapters: Quotes

Art: Italics

Songs: Quotes

Associated Press (AP Style)

Books: Quotes

Magazine Articles: N/A

Albums: Quotes

Poems: Quotes

Book Chapters: N/A

Art: Quotes

American Psychological Association (APA Style)

Modern language association (mla style), exceptions to the rules.

The above guidelines apply to most books; however, book series, handbooks, reference catalogs, and canonical texts (like the Bible) tend to be handled differently. In the event that you’re writing the title of a non-standard book, be sure to check with your preferred style guide for additional advice. 

do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

When do you underline, and when do you italicize?

Since the advent of the word processor, writers have more ways to signal emphasis than ever before. Whereas, in the past, some style guides recommended underlining titles, today most prefer italics or quotation marks. When you’re writing something by hand, underline the titles that would normally be italicized. 

MLA, APA, and Chicago guides agree that the use of italics is appropriate for standard book titles. Only the Associated Press prefers quotation marks for the title of a book, and that’s because they do not ever advocate the use of italics. At first, this rule seems arbitrary. After thinking about it, I can picture a foreign correspondent submitting an longhand assignment after narrowly escaping danger; the Associated Press might avoid italics for the practical reason that they’re impossible to write by hand. 

It’s not hard to remember the APA style rules—they’re the simplest of the bunch. If you’re writing the title of a larger work that can stand alone, then you should use italics. For shorter works that make up a portion of a larger whole—such as journal articles, short stories, or song titles—always use quotation marks. 

As a general rule, the title of an article, album, chapter, or artwork will vary significantly from one style guide to another. Poems and song titles are almost always written the same way, within double quotation marks, no matter which stylebook you use.

How to Reference a Book

Chicago style.

Frost, Robert. Robert Frost: Selected Poems . New York: Fall River Press, 2015.

This publication manual, intended for journalism writing, only recommends in-text citations:

  • In “Robert Frost: Selected Poems,” Frost compared…
  • Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone with the Wind” contains…
  • “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” by J. K. Rowling became…

Frost, R. (2015). Robert Frost: selected poems . New York: Fall River Press.

Frost, Robert. Robert Frost: Selected Poems . Fall River Press, 2015.

  • https://apvschicago.com/2011/04/titles-quote-marks-italics-underlining.html
  • https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2012/03/how-to-capitalize-and-format-reference-titles-in-apa-style.html
  • https://morningside.libguides.com/MLA8/title
  • https://style.mla.org/citing-artwork-from-an-exhibition/
  • https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/punctuation/titles-using-italics-and-quotation-marks.html
  • https://twitter.com/apstylebook/status/1110901868350328833?lang=en
  • https://www.citationmachine.net/

mm

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I’m an award-winning playwright with a penchant for wordplay. After earning a perfect score on the Writing SAT, I worked my way through Brown University by moonlighting as a Kaplan Test Prep tutor. I received a BA with honors in Literary Arts (Playwriting)—which gave me the opportunity to study under Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel. In my previous roles as new media producer with Rosetta Stone, director of marketing for global ventures with The Juilliard School, and vice president of digital strategy with Up & Coming Media, I helped develop the voice for international brands. From my home office in Maui, Hawaii, I currently work on freelance and ghostwriting projects.

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The general rule is to use italics on book titles, album titles and publication names for a web document or when you are using a word processing tool. If it is something handwritten you should underline it instead of using italics.

Longer works are italicized while shorter works like song titles or an article from a magazine are put in quotes and are not italicized.

Here are some italics examples:

Karlie Kloss to Relaunch Life Magazine at Bedford Media

NBF Expands National Book Awards Eligibility Criteria

Striking Writers and Actors March Together on Hollywood Streets

Vice Media Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Oprah Selects The Covenant of Water as 101st Book Club Pick

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do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

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  • APA Style - 7th edition
  • Specific Rules for Authors & Titles

APA Style - 7th edition: Specific Rules for Authors & Titles

  • Basic Information

Rules for Writing Author and Editor Information

Rules for writing titles.

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There are certain things to keep in mind when writing the author's name according to APA style. Authors may be individual people, multiple people, groups (institutions or organizations), or a combination of people and groups. 

  • You must include all the authors up to 20 for individual items. For example, if you are using an article that has 19 authors you must list them all out on your reference page. 
  • Use initials for the first and middle names of authors. Use one space between initials.
  • All names are inverted (last name, first initial).
  • Do not hyphenate a name unless it is hyphenated on the item.
  • Separate the author's names with a comma and use the ampersand symbol "&"  before the last author listed.
  • Spell out the name of any organization that is listed as an author.
  • If there is no author listed, the item title moves in front of the publication date and is used.

An item that you use may have an editor instead of an author or in the case of audiovisual materials a writer or director.

  • For editors follow the same rules above and put the abbreviation (Ed.) or (Eds.) behind the name(s). 
  • For audiovisual materials follow the same rules as above and put the specialized role (Writer) (Director) behind the name. 

Zhang, Y. H.  (one author)

Arnec, A., & Lavbic, D. (two authors)​

Kent State University (organization as author)

Barr, M. J. (Ed.). (1 editor)

Powell, R. R., & Westbrook, L. (Eds.). (2 editors)

here are certain things to keep in mind when writing a title according to APA style.

  • Book titles are italicized and written using sentence case (only the first word of a title, subtitle, or proper noun are capitalized).
  • Book chapter titles are written using sentence case and are not italicized.
  • Journal titles are italicized and written using title case (all the important words are capitalized).
  • Article titles are written using sentence case and are not italicized.
  • Webpages and websites are italicized and written using sentence case.

Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (book title, American Psychological Association is a proper noun so it is capitalized)

Student perspective of plagiarism (book chapter title)

Internet plagiarism in higher education: Tendencies, trigging factors and reasons among teacher candidates (article title, Tendencies is the first word of a sub-title so it is capitalized)

Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education (journal title)

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  • Last Updated: Jul 14, 2023 4:23 PM
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The Write Practice

How to Write a Book Title in MLA Formatting

by Joe Bunting | 2 comments

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You're writing a paper for school and suddenly you stop in the middle of the sentence. You have to write a book title, but you don't how to format it. How do you format a book title in MLA style? Good news: you're in the write place (sorry, I had to).

In this post, we'll talk about MLA style and formatting, whether it's appropriate for your project, and most importantly, how to write a book title in MLA style.

How to Write a Book Title in MLA Formatting

What Is MLA?

MLA stands for Modern Language Association, a society primarily based in the United States but with international standing, that has a mission to “strengthen the study and teaching of language and literature”. Founded in the late 1800s by an American novelist and professor, MLA publishes a set of resources used by students and teachers, including the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers .

The MLA handbook is one of the main style manuals for students and scholars in the world, especially for anyone studying literature, film, or theater.

Should You Format Based on MLA Style?

If you're writing a paper for a class in literature, theater, or film, absolutely use MLA style. Outside of that, it depends. Here are the most frequent style guides associated with various disciplines:

  • Literature, Film, Theater:   MLA
  • Psychology:   APA
  • Science (Physics, Biology, Chemistry): CSE or APA
  • Journalism:   AP
  • Mathematics:   AMA
  • Publishing:   Chicago

You can find a full list of international style guides here .

Now that you know if you should be using MLA style, how do you format a book title with it?

How to Format a Book Title in MLA Style: Example

In MLA style, book titles are italicized, as so:

Henry Thorough argues in Walden  that the best life is lived in deliberate simplicity so as to discover what life truly is about.

In fact, most style guides, including MLA and   Chicago style, require book titles to be italicized , not underlined.

If the book title has a subtitle, the subtitle should be italicized as well and separated by a colon to be formatted correctly for MLA style, as in:

Natural History of the Intellect: the last lectures of Ralph Waldo Emerson

Should You Underline Book Titles in MLA Style?

If you are using MLA style, you should not underline book titles. Instead, italicize the titles.

However, AP style, the guide used by journalists, suggests putting titles in quotation marks, not italicization.

Still, I wouldn't recommend underlining a book's title. In fact, I couldn't find a single style guide that requires book titles to be underlined, but if you know of one that does, let me know in the comments!

Which style guide do you use most? MLA? Chicago? APA? AP? Or do you just write based on your own rules?!  Let me know in the comments .

Let's cement this formatting lesson in our minds by putting it to use right away with the following writing exercise .

What are your favorite books of all time? Write about what you love about them and why they are your favorites for fifteen minutes . Make sure to use the correct formatting for each title!

When your time is up, post your practice in the comments section . And if you post, please be sure to read a few practices by other writers and share your feedback with them.

Happy writing!

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Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

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how do you format the title if you’re writing on paper and can’t italicize?

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When writing by hand, you can underline book titles.

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Home » Blog » Do You Underline Book Titles?

do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Writing has been around as a form of both creativity and documentation or a long time, and it has changed a lot over the years. One of the biggest stylistic changes that have occurred has to do with the emphasis of titles and many ask the same question – do you underline book titles?

At one point the answer would have been an automatic yes due to the lack of other options. Especially when writing with pen and paper underlining is easy and quick. It is a simple way to draw attention to certain words and ensure the reader knows they are important.

This was also true when the use of typewriters was normal as they did not have an option to italicize.  Writing has evolved and technology has become more prominent. With this, additional formatting options have been created. Between italics, underlining, bold text, and quotation marks, it can cause a lot of frustration trying to keep these things straight. So, in these more modern times of writing, do you underline book titles? The answer is a definite no.

Under and Italics – A Little History

Considering the fact that underlining and italicizing do the same thing, some wonder why underlining is an issue. It used to be so common. Asking do you underline books titles is understandable as some people are still adjusting to the change. The best explanation is that technology has evolved past the necessity of doing what is easiest.

Word processors and printers have come a long way over the years and they are able to support and produce any form of text in a sophisticated manner. Italics are generally considered to look more professional, however, it was not always possible to create them. With typewriters, it was downright impossible as it was not even available. Handwritten italics could be done but they would often be too difficult to read.

Writers discovered quickly that certain things needed to be emphasized. It was necessary for the reader to understand exactly what is being talked about. It was also necessary at times to highlight the importance of certain elements. That is why it all began with underlining as it was the most practical option at the time. With more advanced technology, however, italics became more common. They are also considered to be much more professional.

With the arrival of more options, writers began using underlines and italics interchangeably at times. This creates some confusing pieces of writing. This is when guidelines began surfacing. Many had a push for italics to be the accepted form of emphasis for the titles of books and larger works. Unfortunately, not everyone is always on board with this which is why there are still different opinions and sets of guidelines out there.

Consistency is Key

While the most accepted form of emphasis for book titles is to italicize, the most important thing is to remain consistent. The different forms of Italics, bolding, underlining, and quotation marks are not governed by hard and official rules. Everything that currently exists is simply a set of guidelines. While certain things are more widely accepted than others, nothing is technically wrong. Some people may prefer the old ways and choose to underline book titles in their writing. The APA Publication Manual is an example of one style guide that continues to promote the use of underlining over italics.

It is not recommended, but at the end of the day, it is a personal choice. You might you choose to use underlining instead of sticking to the more professional method of italics. If so, it is important that you remain consistent. Don’t go back and forth, don’t do both, and don’t change it up halfway through. Remain consistent throughout a series if what you are writing is a continuous publication – such as a blog, magazine, or series of books.

Academic Writing

When it comes to writing for academic purposes, it is important that you follow your instructor’s guidelines above all else. The world will tell you that italics are the way to go. Despite this, some professors and other educators may still appreciate the old ways. Even if every other source is telling students to italicize, they must adhere to the specific guidelines for their assignment. If the instructions created by your professor tell you to underline your titles, it is acceptable to do so.

When Do You Underline?

If you choose to follow the more popular guidelines of italicizing, you may wonder when it is acceptable to underline something. There are some instances where underlining certain pieces of text is acceptable and even encouraged:

  • If you are writing with a medium that does not offer italics, it would be acceptable to underline what would otherwise be italicized. Examples of this would be handwritten work or something written with a typewriter.
  • If you want to draw emphasis to a particular word that is not a title of any kind. For example: “When riding your horse in a wide open field, it is a lot of fun to go fast!” Italics can also be used in these situations, but underlining is acceptable.

Underlining and Punctuation

If you choose to use underlining in any context, it is important to note that punctuation should not be underlined. You may find that your underlined word is the last within a sentence, the last before a comma, or something similar. This rule goes back to the days of typewriters. If a punctuation mark were to be underlined on a typewriter, it would simply be obscured by the underline and become useless. Exceptions to this include cases where the punctuation is an integral part of the word or phrase:

  • Initials such as U.S.A.
  • A title such as that of the musical Oklahoma!

It is Best to Avoid Underlining

While you are technically free to choose whichever style you want, it is not advisable to use underlining. Especially in a professional piece of writing, readers will take you more seriously if you stick to italics. It is true that underlining used to be the norm, but times have changed. Underlining is an outdated style and most people prefer the appearance of italics. You will be doing yourself a favor to keep up with the world and italicize your book titles. That’s why we see most people italicizing their book titles in our book writing software, Squibler .

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Knowing When To Underline Or Italicize: Your Go-To Guide

Updated: July 11, 2022

Published: May 27, 2021

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Knowing when to underline or italicize can be confusing. But it doesn’t have to be! In this article, we’ll lay out all the basics, plus a few common difficulties that confuse many writers, so you’ll be an expert in no time.

At the end of the article, you’ll get the chance to practice your hand at some sample sentences, so you’ll be sure that you know the ins and outs of using italics and underlines.

Italics Vs Underline: Clarifying The Confusion

In the past (before computers and MLA handbooks), italics and underlines were used to emphasize certain words or titles within the text. It let the reader know what was important, or what was separate from the rest of the sentence. They were both used interchangeably, as long as they were consistent.

Now, with the ability to change formatting with the click of a button, italics are generally used to indicate titles, and only sometimes for emphasis. Meanwhile, underlining is mostly reserved to replace italics in handwritten papers. Manuals and guidebooks, such as the MLA handbook, are now widely used in large institutions or according to the country’s standards, so that specific writing conventions, grammar rules, and formatting styles have become uniform.

With that said, the general rule is that italics are used for titles of books, movies, TV and radio shows, magazines, works of art, and long poems. As mentioned before, underlining is a substitute for italics when writing titles by hand.

do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

Proper formatting in an essay can be confusing for many students: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-blue-blazer-holding-white-paper-3727468/

Titles of long works.

Titles that should be italicized are longer works. These include titles of books, movies, TV and radio shows, journals and magazines, and long poems. In the next section, we’ll see how these works differ from titles of shorter works which are put in quotations instead.

  • The novel Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, was published in 1847 under the pen name of Currer Bell.
  • The movie Home Alone , released in 1990, made a worldwide total of $476,684,675 in box office revenue.

Titles Of Smaller Works

The titles of smaller works are put in “quotations” in order to differentiate them from longer works. These smaller works include titles of chapters, short stories, TV or radio show episodes, articles, and short poems.

In the examples below, note how you can recognize the difference between the shorter works and larger works just by seeing how they are emphasized in the sentence. This makes it impossible to confuse the title of a chapter with the book that it belongs to, or the episode from its TV show.

  • The chapter entitled “The Castaway” in Moby Dick describes the near-death experience of a character named Pip.
  • Edgar Allen Poe’s short story, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” was originally published in a Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine.
  • The pilot episode of Friends , which was released on September 22, 1994, is called “The One Where Monica Gets A Roommate.”

Punctuation In Titles: Common Confusions

Question marks.

Confusion can come up when a title includes a question mark or an exclamation mark in the title itself. For example, the book Who Has Seen the Wind? includes a question mark in it.

The way to deal with these titles is to italicize the question mark as well, just as it is above. By doing so, you can differentiate this title from an actual question, such as writing: Have you read Gone With the Wind ?

The same idea applies to exclamation marks — for example, the movie Mamma Mia! , which includes an exclamation mark in the title. Note the italicization, and the difference between writing Mamma Mia! , the movie, and writing: I can’t believe that you never watched The Parent Trap !

Commas and periods

The confusion of commas and periods when it comes to quotations is a debate between different handbooks and countries. According to the MLA (Modern Language Association) handbook, commas and periods are placed inside of quotation marks.

  • “The Seinfeld Chronicles , ” the first episode of Seinfeld , had 15.4 million viewers in America.
  • Among the short stories of James Joyce included in the collection Dubliners are “Araby , ” “The Sisters , ” and “The Encounter.”

do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

Solidify your new skills by completing practice sentences: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-wearing-black-and-white-stripe-shirt-looking-at-white-printer-papers-on-the-wall-212286/

Let’s practice.

Try your hand at your new skills! Below are five sentences without any italics or quotations. Italicize the longer works and put the shorter works in quotations. If you get stuck, check back in the article, and you’ll be an expert in no time. Be sure to pay attention to tricky commas, periods, and question marks.

  • The Lazy Controller, chapter two of Thinking Fast and Slow, talks about multitasking and its effect on thinking.
  • The Yellow Wallpaper, a short story by Catherine Perkins Gilman, was originally published in The New England Magazine in January 1892.
  • John Lennon’s album Imagine included favorites such as Gimme Some Truth, How Do You Sleep?, and, of course, Imagine.
  • The premiere episode of Family Matters is called The Mama Who Came To Dinner, and relays the drama of Carl’s mother coming to live with him.
  • The short story Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway was first published in a magazine called Transition, and was only later published in his book Men Without Women.

Why Is Proper Indentation Important?

College essays  .

No matter what you study in college, most students write a lot of essays during their school years. While some degrees may put more of an emphasis on writing proper essays , most teachers and professors will expect a certain level of basic grammar and formatting knowledge. Before you even step foot into college, you’ll most likely be expected to write an application essay . It’s important to put your best foot forward, and small formatting rules can go a long way in making a good first impression.

Landing your dream job  

In addition to college essays, prospective employers and job positions will require and look for basic (or advanced, depending on the position) writing skills. Whether you think your dream job requires writing skills or not, writing is a part of everyday life and work, from emails and text messages, to presentations and reports. Having good writing skills will help you make a good first impression, land your dream job, and do your best work.

do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

Proper writing is an important skill for any job: https://www.pexels.com/photo/writing-notes-idea-class-7103/

Having a successful career.

Though different students earn a degree for different reasons, many are hoping to work toward a successful career. In order to do this, the right preparation is key. Preparation may be earning a degree, gaining specific skills, or having the right guidance along the way.

University of the People prepares our students for successful careers by providing program advising , mentorship , and an emphasis on career development . We know that these extra details, much like formatting in an essay, make a big difference for the future success of our students. University of the People is a tuition-free online university that offers degree programs in business administration, computer science, health science, and education.

Wrapping Up

Now you know when to underline or italicize, and much more. To wrap up, italics should be used for the titles of longer works such as movies, books, and TV shows, and underlining for handwritten papers.

In addition, we hope you’ve learned the more tricky rules such as question marks and commas, and that you’ve given some thought to the importance of writing for your future education and success.

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Do You Underline or Italicize Book Titles When Writing? Know the Rules

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My name is Debbie, and I am passionate about developing a love for the written word and planting a seed that will grow into a powerful voice that can inspire many.

Do You Underline or Italicize Book Titles When Writing? Know the Rules

Differentiating Book Titles: Underline vs. Italicize

Understanding the purpose of formatting book titles, the general rule: italicize book titles, exceptions to the rule: underlining book titles, modern conventions: using italics for book titles, consistency is key: stick to one formatting style, recommended approach: italicize book titles for clarity, conclusion: embracing the rules of book title formatting, frequently asked questions, closing remarks.

When it comes to differentiating book titles in written text, there are two commonly used methods: underlining and italicizing. While both techniques serve the purpose of emphasizing a book title, they are used in different contexts and have distinct considerations.

Underlining is an older convention that dates back to the days of typewriters when italics were not an option. In the past, underlining was widely adopted to indicate book titles. However, with the advent of word processors and HTML formatting, italics have become the preferred method. Underlining is now typically reserved for situations where italics are not available or easily distinguishable, such as handwritten texts or when using typewriters or software that lack italics functionality.

On the other hand, italicizing book titles has become the more prevalent practice in modern writing. Italicized book titles are visually appealing, allowing them to stand out while maintaining a sense of elegance and clarity. Additionally, using italics for book titles has the advantage of being more versatile, as it can be easily implemented in digital formats such as websites, e-books, or PDFs. Moreover, italicizing provides a smoother reading experience for the audience, as underlining can sometimes disrupt the flow of text.

Understanding the Purpose of Formatting Book Titles

When it comes to formatting book titles, it’s important to understand the purpose behind it. Correctly formatting book titles not only enhances the overall presentation of your work but also ensures that it follows the standard conventions of writing. Here are a few key reasons why is crucial:

1. Proper differentiation: By formatting book titles, you are providing a clear distinction between the title of the book and other elements within your text. This helps readers easily identify and locate the title, allowing for better navigation and comprehension.

2. Consistency and professionalism: A well-formatted book title conveys a sense of professionalism and attention to detail. It demonstrates that you have taken the time to present your work in a consistent and coherent manner. Furthermore, consistent formatting throughout your book establishes a polished and cohesive appearance, making it more visually appealing to readers.

The General Rule: Italicize Book Titles

When it comes to referencing books in your writing, there is a general rule you should follow: italicize book titles. Italicizing book titles not only helps to distinguish them from the rest of the text but also gives them importance and emphasis. By using this formatting convention, readers can easily identify and locate the book titles within your writing.

Exceptions to the Rule: Underlining Book Titles

While it is generally accepted that book titles should be underlined, there are a few exceptions to this rule. It’s important to be aware of these exceptions to avoid any confusion or inconsistency in your writing. Here are some instances where underlining book titles may not apply:

  • Using quotation marks: Instead of underlining, book titles can be enclosed in quotation marks. This is common when referencing shorter works, such as short stories, poems, or articles within larger anthologies. For example, you would italicize the name of a book like Pride and Prejudice , but use quotation marks for a short story like “The Lottery” or an article like “The Importance of Being Earnest: Analyzing Oscar Wilde’s Satire.”
  • Foreign language titles: If you are discussing a book written in a different language, it is customary to maintain the original language’s formatting conventions. For instance, if you are writing about the French novel Les Misérables , it should be italicized rather than underlined.

Remember that consistency is crucial when it comes to formatting book titles in your writing. Once you decide on a specific style for underlining or using quotation marks, make sure to apply it consistently throughout your work. Familiarizing yourself with these exceptions will help you navigate the proper formatting of book titles, making your writing polished and professional.

Modern Conventions: Using Italics for Book Titles

In the vast world of modern conventions, italics play a crucial role in emphasizing book titles. When it comes to formatting writing, using italics serves as a visual cue to distinguish book titles from the surrounding text. This simple yet essential practice not only helps readers easily identify the names of literary works but also enhances the overall aesthetic appeal of the written piece.

To effectively utilize italics for book titles, it’s important to keep a few guidelines in mind. Firstly, titles of standalone books, such as novels, autobiographies, and anthologies, should always be italicized. This includes both fiction and non-fiction works. Italicizing book titles is a universal standard across various writing styles and genres, ensuring consistency in formatting. However, it is worth noting that within the body of the text, the first letter of the first word and any proper nouns in book titles should be capitalized, regardless of whether the original title follows this convention.

Moreover, it’s crucial to distinguish book titles from other types of written works. While italics are employed for books, other mediums, such as poems, short stories, articles, and essays, require alternative formatting. Poems and articles typically utilize quotation marks, whereas short stories and essays generally appear in italics. By adhering to these distinctions, writers uphold clarity and facilitate seamless communication of their ideas. Remember, proper use of italics for book titles not only showcases your attention to detail but also adds a touch of professionalism to your writing style.

As content creators, it is essential to maintain a consistent formatting style throughout our work. By sticking to one formatting style, we not only present a professional and polished image, but we also enhance readability and user experience. Consistency allows readers to focus on the content itself rather than being distracted by inconsistent formatting choices.

One of the main benefits of adopting a consistent formatting style is that it creates a sense of familiarity for your audience. Whether it’s using a consistent font, font size, or line spacing, readers quickly become accustomed to the visual elements of your content. This helps build trust and reliability, making it easier for them to engage with your material.

Moreover, consistent formatting extends beyond just the visual aspects. It also involves maintaining a consistent structure throughout your content. Utilize headings, subheadings, and bullet points to organize your ideas logically. This type of formatting makes it easier for readers to navigate through your content, quickly identify key points, and retain information efficiently. By employing consistent formatting practices, you can create an enjoyable and engaging experience for your audience, increasing the likelihood of them returning for more of your valuable content.

When it comes to emphasizing book titles in your writing, using italics is the recommended approach to ensure clarity and enhance readability. Italicizing book titles not only helps distinguish them from the rest of your text but also adds a professional touch to your writing. By following this convention, you can provide a visual cue to your readers that a specific word or collection of words represents a book title.

Using italics for book titles also helps maintain consistency and uniformity throughout your writing. Whether you are writing an essay, a research paper, or a blog post, it is crucial to adhere to a consistent style guide. In addition to italicizing book titles, remember to capitalize the first and last word, as well as all nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverb, and adjectives in the title. By adopting this approach, you can ensure that your book titles stand out and are easily identifiable to the reader.

In conclusion, italicizing book titles is an integral part of creating clear and visually appealing text. By following the recommended approach, you can effectively emphasize book titles, maintain consistency, and provide a seamless reading experience for your audience. So, whether you are writing a formal academic paper or a casual blog post, don’t forget to use italics to highlight book titles and make them pop!

In conclusion, understanding and adhering to the rules of book title formatting is crucial for authors and publishers alike. By following these guidelines, you can enhance the readability and marketability of your book, making it more appealing to potential readers. Remember, your title serves as a first impression and can greatly impact the success of your work. Therefore, embracing these rules can pave the way for a professional and captivating book title.

Here are a few key takeaways to keep in mind:

  • Captivate with clarity: Your title should be captivating while effectively communicating the essence of your book. Keep it short, concise, and avoid vague or misleading phrases.
  • Avoid excessive punctuation: While dashes, colons, or parentheses may add emphasis or clarity, excessive use can make your title appear cluttered or confusing. Moderation is key.
  • Consistency in capitalization: Pick a style for capitalizing words in your title (such as title case) and stick with it throughout. Consistent capitalization adds a polished and professional touch to your book.
  • Be conscious of branding: If you have an established brand or series, it’s important to maintain consistency in your book title formatting. This helps readers recognize your work and fosters a sense of trust and loyalty.

By embracing these rules and paying attention to the finer details of your book title, you can greatly enhance its appeal and increase the likelihood of capturing the attention of your target audience. Remember, a well-formatted title goes hand in hand with a well-crafted story, setting the stage for a successful and memorable reading experience .

Q: What is the correct way to format book titles in a written work? A: The correct way to format book titles in a written work is typically by underlining or italicizing them.

Q: Are there any specific rules for underlining or italicizing book titles? A: Yes, there are rules to follow. The general convention is to underline or italicize longer works, such as novels, textbooks, and anthologies.

Q: Can you provide some examples of longer works that should be underlined or italicized? A: Certainly! Examples of longer works that should be underlined or italicized include books like “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Pride and Prejudice,” and “1984.”

Q: What about shorter works like poems, short stories, or articles? Should they be treated differently? A: Yes, shorter works are formatted differently. Instead of underlining or italicizing, these titles should be placed inside quotation marks.

Q: Can you give some examples of shorter works that should be placed inside quotation marks? A: Absolutely! Examples of shorter works that should be placed inside quotation marks include poems like “The Raven,” short stories like “The Lottery,” and articles such as “The Benefits of Exercise.”

Q: Are there any exceptions to these formatting rules? A: Yes, there are exceptions. When referring to titles within titles, such as a chapter title within a book, you should surround the inner title with quotation marks while underlining or italicizing the overall book title.

Q: Do these rules apply to all writing formats, like essays, research papers, or emails? A: Indeed, these rules are applicable to various writing formats, including essays, research papers, and even informal emails.

Q: Can you briefly summarize the main rules for underlining or italicizing book titles in writing? A: Of course! The general rules state that longer works like novels should be underlined or italicized, while shorter works like poems or articles should be placed inside quotation marks. When referring to titles within titles, use quotation marks for the inner title and underline or italicize the overall book title.

Q: Where can I find more information on this topic if I need further clarification? A: If you need more information, it is always recommended to consult a reliable writing style guide, such as The Chicago Manual of Style or the Modern Language Association (MLA) Handbook, both of which provide extensive guidelines for formatting book titles.

In conclusion, whether to underline or italicize book titles may seem confusing, but by following the rules, you can ensure clarity and proper formatting in your writing.

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When to Punctuate Titles in Italics or Quotes

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You may have wondered in the middle of typing up a research project : Do I italicize  a song title? What about a painting?​ Even the most experienced writers have a problem remembering the proper punctuation for certain types of titles. Books are italicized (or underlined) and articles are put in quotation marks. That's about as far as many people can remember.​

Many teachers require students to use Modern Language Association style for research papers and essays covering language arts, cultural studies, and the humanities . There is a trick to remembering how to treat titles in MLA style, and it works well enough that you can commit most types of titles to memory. It's the big and little trick.

Big Things vs. Little Things

Big things and things that can stand on their own, like books, are italicized. Little things that are dependent or that come as part of a group, like chapters, are put into quotation marks. Think of a CD or an album as a major (big) work that can be divided into smaller parts, or songs. The individual song names (small part) are punctuated with quotation marks .

For example:

  • The Sweet Escape , by Gwen Stefani, includes the song "Wind It Up."

While this is not a perfect rule, it can be helpful for determining whether to italicize or surround an item in quotation marks when you have no resources at hand.

Furthermore, italicize or underline any published collection, like a book of poetry. Put the individual entry, like a poem, in quotation marks. However: a long, epic poem that is often published on its own would be treated like a book. The Odyssey is one example.

Punctuating Titles of Works of Art

Creating a work of art is an enormous task. For that reason, you can think of art as a big accomplishment. That might sound a bit corny, but it will help you remember. Individual works of art, like paintings and sculptures, are underlined or italicized:

  • Michelangelo 's David
  • The Last Supper

Note that a photograph—although not any less significant or important—is often much smaller than a work of created art, and is placed in quotation marks. Following are guidelines for punctuating titles according to MLA standards.

Titles and Names to Italicize

Works to put in italics include:

  • A sculpture or statue
  • A TV Series
  • A cartoon series
  • An encyclopedia
  • A newspaper

Titles to Put Into Quotation Marks

When deciding how to handle smaller works, put quotation marks around:

  • A short story
  • A commercial
  • An individual episode in a TV series (like "The Soup Nazi" on Seinfeld)
  • A cartoon episode, like "Trouble With Dogs"
  • A newspaper story

More Tips on Punctuating Titles

Some titles are merely capitalized and not given additional punctuation. These include:

  • Religious works, like the Bible or the Koran
  • How to Use Italics
  • The Case of the Missing Italics
  • Guidelines for Using Quotation Marks Correctly
  • German Punctuation Zeichensetzung Punctuation Marks Part 1
  • MLA Bibliography or Works Cited
  • What Is a Citation?
  • Turabian Style Guide With Examples
  • An Introduction to Punctuation
  • How to Write a Bibliography For a Science Fair Project
  • Difference Between "Quote" and "Quotation": What Is the Right Word?
  • Definition and Examples of Colons
  • Learn the Correct Way to Use Quotation Marks in a Headline
  • MLA Sample Pages
  • Why, Commas Really Do Make A Difference
  • 140 Key Copyediting Terms and What They Mean
  • HTML Emphasis Tags
  • How to Cite
  • Language & Lit
  • Rhyme & Rhythm
  • The Rewrite
  • Search Glass

Is a Book Title Underlined or Italicized When Typing in APA Format?

American Psychological Association, or APA, style is a set of guidelines often used when writing in the social sciences, such as psychology, anthropology and history. APA guidelines stipulate rules for punctuation, tables, headings, statistics and citations. Citing your sources according to APA style helps you avoid plagiarism and boost your paper's credibility. When you cite or mention a book in a paper, you should italicize the title.

Formatting Book Citations

Citations of books in your Reference List should begin with the last name of the book's author, then the author's initials. Next, write the year of publication within parentheses.

After the year, list the title of the book in sentence case -- only capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle, if applicable, just as if you were writing a sentence.

Italicize the title of the book; don't underline it or any other part of the citation. Finally, list the location, followed by a colon, and then the publisher.

In-Text vs. Citation

You should also italicize the title of a book when you refer to it within the text of your paper. Unlike in your Reference List, however, the title of a book within the text should be in title case. That means you should capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle; all nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs; and all words that are four letters or longer.

For example, within the text of your paper, you would write "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders," but in your Reference List, you would write "Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders."

  • Purdue Online Writing Lab: Reference List: Books
  • American Psychological Association: Title Case and Sentence Case Capitalization in APA Style
  • American Psychological Association: How to Capitalize and Format Reference Titles in APA Style

Rebekah Richards is a professional writer with work published in the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution," "Brandeis University Law Journal" and online at tolerance.org. She graduated magna cum laude from Brandeis University with bachelor's degrees in creative writing, English/American literature and international studies. Richards earned a master's degree at Carnegie Mellon University.

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What about MLA format?

All research papers on literature use MLA format, as it is the universal citation method for the field of literary studies. Whenever you use a primary or secondary source, whether you are quoting or paraphrasing, you will make parenthetical citations in the MLA format [Ex. (Smith 67).] Your Works Cited list will be the last page of your essay. Consult the OWL handout on MLA for further instructions.

Note, however, the following minor things about MLA format:

  • Titles of books, plays, or works published singularly (not anthologized) should be italicised unless it is a handwritten document, in which case underlining is acceptable. (Ex. Hamlet , Great Expectations )
  • Titles of poems, short stories, or works published in an anthology will have quotation marks around them. (Ex. "Ode to a Nightingale," "The Cask of Amontillado")
Tip If you're using Microsoft Word, you can easily include your name and page number on each page by following the these steps:
  • Open "View" (on the top menu).
  • Open "Header and Footer." (A box will appear at the top of the page you're on. And a "Header and Footer" menu box will also appear).
  • Click on the "align right" button at the top of the screen. (If you're not sure which button it is, hold the mouse over the buttons and a small window should pop up telling you which button you're on.)
  • Type in your last name and a space.
  • Click on the "#" button which is located on the "Header and Footer" menu box. It will insert the appropriate page number.
  • Click "Close" on the "Header and Footer" window.
That's all you need to do. Word will automatically insert your name and the page number on every page of your document.

What else should I remember?

  • Don't leave a quote or paraphrase by itself-you must introduce it, explain it, and show how it relates to your thesis.
  • Block format all quotations of more than four lines.
  • When you quote brief passages of poetry, line and stanza divisions are shown as a slash (Ex. "Roses are red, / Violets are blue / You love me / And I like you").
  • For more help, see the OWL handout on using quotes .

IMAGES

  1. 3 Simple Ways to Write Book Titles in MLA

    do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

  2. 3 Simple Ways to Write Book Titles in MLA

    do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

  3. Do You Underline Or Italicize Book Titles In Mla

    do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

  4. Mla Format Do You Italicize Article Titles

    do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

  5. Italizice or Underline Book Titles

    do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

  6. Essay italicized underlined

    do you underline book titles in essays or italicize

VIDEO

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COMMENTS

  1. Let's Clear This Up: Should You Underline Or Italicize Book Titles?

    If you have italics as an option, use it. If not, underline. If underlining isn't an option, use asterisks or under-slashes to set off titles. That last one is the way to go when you include a book title in a text message or social media post or comment, where you can't apply any kind of text formatting. Underlining can be problematic with ...

  2. Should You Underline Or Italicise Book Titles?

    Maybe you're writing your author bio or a blog post, or maybe you need to refer to a book in your own story.. But when it comes to typing in that book title, you find yourself hovering between the italics and underline buttons, unsure which to choose.. In most cases, there's a straightforward answer to this conundrum, which means the general rule is nice and easy to remember once you know it.

  3. MLA Titles

    Use quotation marks around the title if it is part of a larger work (e.g. a chapter of a book, an article in a journal, or a page on a website). All major words in a title are capitalized. The same format is used in the Works Cited list and in the text itself. Place in quotation marks. Italicize.

  4. Do You Italicize Book Titles? MLA, Chicago Manual, and APA Rules

    Whether you are writing a book, a business blog, a research paper, or a magazine article, staying true (and consistent) to grammar and style is extremely important. It makes the entire article/ manuscript consistent and reading easy!. But with so many styles and style guides around, losing track is very common. This is especially true when you are writing titles - of books, stories, poems ...

  5. Do You Italicize Book Titles? And Other Title Conundrums

    One Rule of Writing Titles. There are two ways we typically indicate titles: by italicizing them, or by putting them in "quotation marks.". We'll get into the nuances of each in a moment. But let's start off with one core principle: Italicize the titles of works that are larger, like the titles of books, albums, and movies. For shorter ...

  6. Properly Format Your Titles: Underlines, Italics, and Quotes

    3 Simple Tips For Properly Formatting Titles Of Books, Stories, Poems. 1) Underlining and italics serve the same purpose. Never do both. Do NOT use quotation marks, underline, or italics together. 2) For any work that stands on its own, you should use italics or underline. (Stories or chapters from within a book are considered PARTS of the book ...

  7. Should Book Titles Be Italicized or Underlined?

    Save underline in your digital content for links to other websites. Don't confuse readers by underlining book titles as well. Instead, italicize the titles of published works, and put shorter works in quotation marks. (Unless you're following the AP Style Guide; they don't use italics.) To sum it up, follow the style guide your editor ...

  8. How to Write Book Titles in Your Essays

    Exceptions to the Rule. The rule for writing book titles in italics applies specifically to running text. If the book title is standing on its own, as in a heading, there's no need to italicize it. Additionally, if the book is part of a larger series and you're mentioning both the title of the series and that of the individual book, you can ...

  9. Do You Underline Book Titles?

    The issue is addressed by the top stylebooks, but the answers vary. ( Grammar Rules for Writers .) According to the Chicago Manual of Style and the Modern Language Association, titles of books (and other complete works, such as newspapers and magazines), should be italicized. So if abiding by either of those guides, you'd italicize Stephen King ...

  10. Italics and Underlining: Titles of Books

    Whereas, in the past, some style guides recommended underlining titles, today most prefer italics or quotation marks. When you're writing something by hand, underline the titles that would normally be italicized. MLA, APA, and Chicago guides agree that the use of italics is appropriate for standard book titles. Only the Associated Press ...

  11. Italics and Titles: When to Italicize

    Italics and Titles. The general rule is to use italics on book titles, album titles and publication names for a web document or when you are using a word processing tool. If it is something handwritten you should underline it instead of using italics. Longer works are italicized while shorter works like song titles or an article from a magazine ...

  12. APA Style

    here are certain things to keep in mind when writing a title according to APA style. Book titles are italicized and written using sentence case (only the first word of a title, subtitle, or proper noun are capitalized). Book chapter titles are written using sentence case and are not italicized.

  13. How to Write a Book Title in MLA Formatting

    In MLA style, book titles are italicized, as so: Henry Thorough argues in Walden that the best life is lived in deliberate simplicity so as to discover what life truly is about. In fact, most style guides, including MLA and Chicago style, require book titles to be italicized, not underlined. If the book title has a subtitle, the subtitle should ...

  14. Do You Underline Book Titles?

    Underlining is an outdated style and most people prefer the appearance of italics. You will be doing yourself a favor to keep up with the world and italicize your book titles. That's why we see most people italicizing their book titles in our book writing software, Squibler. Josh Fechter. Josh is the founder and CEO of Squibler.

  15. Knowing When To Underline Or Italicize: Your Go-To Guide

    Now you know when to underline or italicize, and much more. To wrap up, italics should be used for the titles of longer works such as movies, books, and TV shows, and underlining for handwritten papers. In addition, we hope you've learned the more tricky rules such as question marks and commas, and that you've given some thought to the ...

  16. How to Indicate Book Titles in Writing: Must-Know Rules

    Remember to capitalize the important words in the title, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Avoid capitalizing articles, prepositions, or conjunctions, unless they are the first or last word in the title. In summary, whether you choose to use italics or quotation marks for book titles, consistency is key.

  17. Use of italics

    Titles of book series. the Harry Potter series. The punctuation mark after an italicized word or phrase or between elements of a reference list entry (e.g., the comma after a periodical title or issue number, the period after a book title) Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 128(6), 510-516.

  18. Do You Underline or Italicize Book Titles When Writing? Know the Rules

    A: Of course! The general rules state that longer works like novels should be underlined or italicized, while shorter works like poems or articles should be placed inside quotation marks. When referring to titles within titles, use quotation marks for the inner title and underline or italicize the overall book title.

  19. When to Punctuate Titles in Italics or Quotes

    Individual works of art, like paintings and sculptures, are underlined or italicized: Note that a photograph—although not any less significant or important—is often much smaller than a work of created art, and is placed in quotation marks. Following are guidelines for punctuating titles according to MLA standards.

  20. Is a Book Title Underlined or Italicized When Typing in APA Format?

    In-Text vs. Citation. You should also italicize the title of a book when you refer to it within the text of your paper. Unlike in your Reference List, however, the title of a book within the text should be in title case. That means you should capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle; all nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs ...

  21. Do You Underline or Italicize Book Titles?

    Book titles are often notated in one of two ways: underlining, or italics. Learn why digital writing typically uses italics, and physical writing may use underlining instead when including book ...

  22. Formatting

    If you're using Microsoft Word, you can easily include your name and page number on each page by following the these steps: Open "View" (on the top menu). Open "Header and Footer." (A box will appear at the top of the page you're on. And a "Header and Footer" menu box will also appear). Click on the "align right" button at the top of the screen.