When writing an essay, referring to a book for contrasting views is often necessary. Whether it is a novel, a collection of essays, or a work of non-fiction, going through different books will always help. However, there can be some problematic issues as well when you completely rely on a book.
One such issue that arises when referencing a book is how to correctly write the book title within the essay. Likewise, writing a book title in an essay depends on the type of book and the citation style. Furthermore, here we are going to provide some guidelines on how to write a book title in an essay. Accordingly, it will be accompanied by examples on the same matter.
Read Also: How to Write a Title for your Essay?
Writing Various Types of Book Titles
If you already know about writing a perfect book title for your essay, it’s likely to consider various other types. Moreover, when you choose to write a book title for your essay, there are several other things to consider.
Many people think writing a book title can be different from choosing a title for their chapter. Well, it can be different, but typically it depends on where your title will appear on paper. So, here are some rules that can follow while writing the heading –
Make sure you use capital letters to write the title of the book or novel.
- You can use italics when writing the name of the author.
- If you are writing titles for short poems or articles, you can also put them in quotation marks.
- Before inserting the title, it’s better to be clear about the main idea of your essay.
- Additionally, you can always take help from a teacher or an expert in the same field. In general, it will save you time from researching small matters that are easy to answer by a professional.
What’s the Capitalization Rule?
The first thing to consider when writing a book title in an essay is the capitalization rules. In general, you should capitalize the first word and all nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in the title. However, prepositions, conjunctions, and articles (a, an, the) cannot be in capital letters. More so, unless they are the first word in the title.
For example, let’s say you are writing an essay about Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The title should be written as follows: To Kill a Mockingbird. The first word (To) and all nouns (Kill, Mockingbird) are capitalized, but the articles (a) and (the) must not.
Should I use Quotation Marks or Italics?
The next thing to consider when writing a book title is whether to use quotation marks or italics. The answer to this question will again depend upon the citation style you are using.
In general, if you are using MLA style, you should italicize the title of the book. If you are using APA style, you should put the title in quotation marks. However, if you are using a different citation style, you should follow the guidelines for that style. Furthermore, it will help you to determine whether to use italics or quotation marks.
For example, let’s say you are writing an essay using MLA style about George Orwell’s 1984. The title should be written as follows: 1984. Note that the title is italicized. If you were using APA style, the title would be written in quotation marks: “1984”.
Check Also: How to write Structure & Outline of Essay Writing
Other Popular Considerations: For Writing a Book Title in an Essay
There are a few other things to consider when writing a book title in an essay. First, make sure you are using the correct title. If the book has a subtitle, you should include that as well. For example, if you are writing an essay about Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, the full title should be: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.
Secondly, make sure you are consistent in how you write the book title throughout your essay. If you italicize the title in the introduction, make sure you italicize it in the body of the essay as well. Similarly, if you put the title in quotation marks in one section of the essay, make sure you do the same in all other sections where you refer to the book title.
Conclusion
Accordingly, writing a book title in an essay may appear as a small detail, but it’s essential to make it right. Remember to be consistent throughout your essay and follow the: capitalization rules and whether to use quotation marks or italics. By paying attention to these details, you can ensure that your essay is in the proper format. Hence it must accurately reference the book you are discussing in your essay.
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