do you underline book titles when writing by hand

Do I Underline the Title of a Book When Writing? Definitive Guide

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.

Underlining Titles: A Comprehensive Guide for Writers

Why underlining titles is important, do’s and don’ts of underlining titles, the role of underlining in book titles: why does it matter, when to underline book titles: a simple rule, exceptions to the underlining rule: special cases unveiled, alternatives to underlining: modern approaches to formatting book titles, avoiding common mistakes: tips for properly formatting book titles, staying consistent: establishing your personal style guide for book titles, frequently asked questions, in conclusion.

As a writer, it is crucial to understand the rules of underlining titles to enhance the readability and professionalism of your work. When titles are underlined, they stand out, making it easier for readers to distinguish them from the surrounding text. Underlining titles also helps in conveying the proper emphasis, ensuring that the intended meaning is clear. Whether you are writing a book, an article, or even an email subject line, mastering the art of underlining titles will make your writing more impactful and professional.

When it comes to underlining titles, there are a few guidelines that every writer should follow. Firstly, it is important to remember that underlining should be used for longer works such as novels, journals, and movies. Titles of shorter works like poems, articles, and short stories should be enclosed in quotation marks instead. Additionally, it is crucial to consistently format titles throughout your writing. Avoid alternating between underlining and italicizing titles, as it can confuse your readers and diminish the overall professionalism of your work. Lastly, make sure to verify the preferred style guide or formatting standards of your specific writing context, as some industries or academic disciplines may have their own preferred conventions for underlining titles.

The role of underlining in book titles is often overlooked, but it plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall reading experience. Underlining serves as a visual cue that differentiates a book title from the rest of the text, allowing readers to easily identify and locate the title. By underlining book titles, authors and publishers give prominence to these important elements, making them more distinguishable and memorable.

Moreover, underlining book titles adheres to a widely accepted style convention that helps maintain consistency in written works. Consistency in formatting is essential as it allows readers to focus on the content without being distracted by inconsistent or confusing visual cues. Underlining also helps to clearly separate book titles from other types of titles, such as article or chapter titles, thereby making it easier for readers to navigate through a text.

• Underlining book titles provides a visual distinction for readers.
• It enhances the overall reading experience by making titles more distinguishable and memorable.
• Underlining adheres to a widely accepted style convention, ensuring consistency in written works.
• It separates book titles from other types of titles, facilitating easier navigation through the text.

Understanding the role of underlining in book titles is crucial for authors, publishers, and readers alike. By employing this formatting technique, books can become more aesthetically pleasing and easier to comprehend. So, next time you pick up a book, pay attention to the underlined title and appreciate the thoughtfulness and purpose behind it.

Have you ever found yourself wondering whether or not to underline book titles in your writing? It’s a common dilemma that many writers face. Fortunately, there is a simple rule that can help you make the right decision. By following this guideline, you can ensure consistency and enhance the readability of your work.

The general rule is to underline book titles when you are writing by hand or using a typewriter. However, with the advent of computers and modern word processors, the standard practice has shifted. Nowadays, it is more common to use italics or quotation marks to indicate the title of a book.

• Use italics: When you are typing on a computer or using any digital platform, italics are the preferred method to indicate book titles. Italicizing the title makes it stand out and helps your readers easily identify it.
• Use quotation marks: Quotation marks are a suitable alternative to italics. If your formatting options do not allow for italicization, using quotation marks to enclose the book title is acceptable. Just ensure consistency throughout your writing.

Remember, consistency is key when it comes to formatting book titles. Whether you choose italics or quotation marks, make sure you stick to the chosen style throughout your document. By following this simple rule, you can effectively highlight book titles in your writing and improve the overall clarity and professionalism of your work.

While underlining text is a popular practice in writing, there are certain situations where this convention does not apply. Here, we unveil some special cases that deviate from the underlining rule, providing you with a deeper understanding of when and why to make exceptions:

• Titles of Books, Articles, and Other Major Works: When citing major works, such as books, articles, or albums, it is customary to italicize rather than underline the titles. This stylistic choice helps to differentiate these significant compositions from surrounding text, making them visually stand out.
• Foreign Words and Phrases: If you find yourself incorporating foreign words or phrases into your writing, it is best to italicize them to distinguish them from the rest of the text. This not only allows the reader to recognize their unique nature but also adds emphasis and clarity to their meaning.
• Web and Digital Content: With the rise of the digital age, the rules of underlining have evolved. In modern web writing, underlining is generally not used for hyperlink formatting. Instead, hyperlinks are typically displayed in a different color or are underlined only when the user hovers over them. This helps readers effortlessly differentiate between regular and linked text, enhancing the overall browsing experience.

By shedding light on these exceptions, we hope to equip you with a greater understanding of when to deviate from the standard underlining rule. Remember, embracing these special cases not only elevates the visual aesthetics of your writing but also enhances readability and clarity for your audience.

In the ever-evolving world of typography and book formatting, underlining has become a rather outdated method of emphasizing book titles. Luckily, there are several modern alternatives that not only enhance the visual appeal of titles but also provide a more engaging reading experience . Here are a few contemporary approaches that are gaining popularity among publishers and designers:

1. **Italics**: Italicizing book titles has become the go-to method for indicating emphasis in the publishing industry. By slanting the text slightly, it creates a subtle visual distinction that grabs the reader’s attention without overpowering the overall design. Moreover, italics offer a more organic and fluid feel to the text, making it easier on the eyes and improving readability.

When it comes to properly formatting book titles, there are a few common mistakes that many people make. By avoiding these errors, you can ensure that your book titles are correctly formatted and reflect professionalism. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:

– Capitalization: It’s important to remember that in book titles, major words should be capitalized. This includes nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Articles, prepositions, and conjunctions, on the other hand, should be lowercase unless they are the first or last word of the title. For example, “The Catcher in the Rye” is properly capitalized, whereas “The Catcher In The Rye” would be incorrect. – Italics vs. Quotation Marks: Book titles should always be either italicized or enclosed in quotation marks to indicate that they are titles. Generally, longer works like novels, textbooks, or anthologies are italicized. Shorter works like poems, articles, or short stories are enclosed in quotation marks. For example, “To Kill a Mockingbird” is properly italicized, while “To Kill a Mockingbird” is incorrect.

When it comes to book titles, consistency is key in establishing your personal style guide. A well-defined style guide not only adds a professional touch to your work but also helps create a cohesive brand identity . Here are some tips to help you stay consistent and develop your own personal style guide for book titles:

• Choose a Format: Decide on a consistent format for your book titles. Whether you prefer the use of capitalization, italics, or quotation marks, stick to your chosen style throughout your writing.
• Consider Length: Determine the desired length of your book titles. Short and punchy titles may work well for some genres, while longer and more descriptive titles may suit others. Having a consistent length will give your titles a distinct look and feel.
• Create a Theme: Think about the themes or motifs prevalent in your writing and try to infuse them into your book titles. A thematic approach will help establish a cohesive and recognizable style that resonates with your readers.

Remember that consistency is not about being rigid, but rather about having a clear and discernible style that reflects your writing and engages your audience. By establishing your own personal style guide for book titles, you can enhance your credibility as an author and make a lasting impression on your readers.

Q: Why is it important to know whether I should underline the title of a book when writing? A: Understanding the correct formatting of book titles is crucial as it enhances the professionalism and clarity of your writing. Plus, it ensures that you follow the standard rules and guidelines set by style manuals.

Q: Which titles should be underlined? A: In traditional print media, such as books or magazines, titles of longer works like books, plays, or journals are typically underlined. However, with modern word processors and digital platforms, underlining has been largely replaced by italics.

Q: Can I simply use italics instead of underlining the title? A: Yes, in fact, using italics is the preferred method in modern writing. Italicizing book titles provides emphasis and stands out to the reader more effectively than underlining. This applies to both print and digital platforms.

Q: Are there any exceptions to italicizing book titles? A: Yes, there are a few exceptions where neither underlining nor italics are necessary. Shorter works such as articles, short stories, or individual poems, are typically enclosed in quotation marks.

Q: What if I’m writing by hand or can’t use italics? A: If you are unable to use italics, such as when writing by hand, you may resort to underlining as an alternative. However, if possible, it is advisable to type or use a computer to take advantage of italics for better visual clarity.

Q: How do I format book titles in digital writing, like emails or online articles? A: In digital writing, book titles should be italicized, just like in print. Use quality word processing software, blogging platforms, or content management systems that support italics to ensure proper formatting.

Q: Can I use bold or all capital letters instead of italics for book titles? A: It is generally not recommended to use bold or all capital letters as substitutes for italics when formatting book titles. While they may attract attention, they lack the subtlety and standardized look that italics provide.

Q: Should I italicize the titles of non-English books or works from other languages? A: Yes, the same rules apply for non-English titles. Italicize the titles of books or works, regardless of the language they are written in. Ensure that the italics accurately represent the original characters and symbols.

Q: Is there a specific reference style I should follow when italicizing book titles? A: Yes, specific reference styles, such as the APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association), or Chicago Manual of Style, dictate the formatting of book titles and citations in different contexts. Familiarize yourself with the appropriate style guide for your writing needs.

Q: Are there any exceptions or special cases where underlining book titles is still acceptable? A: Generally, underlining book titles is considered outdated in modern writing conventions. However, if you encounter a specific style guideline, academic institution, or project that specifically requires underlining, it is essential to follow those guidelines accordingly.

In conclusion, when writing, it is important to remember that book titles should be italicized or put in quotation marks, not underlined.

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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? 

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Italics and Underlining: Titles of Books

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.

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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. 

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/

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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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Home » Blog » Do You Underline Book Titles?

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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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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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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.)

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!

47 Comments

The English language is hard, man.

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

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

Thannks! Needed help quickly and got it here 😀

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!

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.

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

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

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

what about sculptures paintings etc?

jj, sculptures and paintings would be italicized.

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

TF, webinar titles should be italicized.

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

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

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

Good article!

Very helpful article!

Thanks a bunch!

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.

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.

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

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

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”

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!

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.

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.

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/

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.

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.

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.

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”

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!

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.

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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Tips for Online Students , Tips for Students

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

Updated: July 11, 2022

Published: May 27, 2021

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.

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.”

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.

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.

Related Articles

Do I Underline Book Titles?

by Susan Z. Miller | Oct 12, 2022 | Grammar

The short answer is: no. You don’t underline book titles in formal writing. But how you do designate book titles in your writing may vary, even from one piece of writing to another. Read on and I’ll explain why.

If you have found yourself Googling “do I underline book titles?” more than once in your life — perhaps several times — don’t feel like you’re alone. This is a question that many individuals, even seasoned writers, find themselves checking and maybe even double checking. Making the topic even more confusing is the fact that you’ve probably seen different sources document book titles in different ways: some italicize them, and some put them in quotation marks. The reason for this is because there’s not a firm answer for how you designate book titles, speaking strictly in grammatical terms. The answer depends entirely upon what style guide you are using for your writing.

What Is a Style Guide?

A style guide is a collection of rules for writing for a particular industry, brand or project that aims to ensure consistency, providing assurance that style conventions are driven by a set of rules and not by individual writers’ personal preferences. Some examples of topics covered in style guides are whether to write out or use the symbol for numbers, whether to capitalize titles, when to use abbreviations, and how to format parenthetical citations.

A List of Common Style Guides

The four most commonly used writing style guides are:

• The Modern Language Association Handbook (MLA) – commonly used in academic writing
• Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) – commonly used in medical and scientific writing
• Associated Press Stylebook (AP) – commonly used by newspapers and in journalism
• Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago) – commonly used in fiction and nonfiction books and publications

So Do I Underline This Book Title in My Writing Or Not?

First, check to see what style guide you are using for your writing. If you don’t have an assigned style, you can use the short list above to pick which style guide you want to use, then stick with it. Remember, no one guide is right or wrong; there are just different guides commonly used within different industries. Here are the rules for underlining book titles, broken down by style guide.

• The Modern Language Association Handbook (MLA) – Titles of books, plays, films, periodicals, databases, and websites are italicized . 
• Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) – Titles of books, journals, magazines, and newspapers are italicized.
• Associated Press Stylebook (AP) – Titles of books, movies, operas, poems, songs, works of art, and video games are put in quotation marks .
• Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago) –  Titles of books, journals, plays, and other freestanding works are italicized .

Tip to Remember

In writing, you don’t need to underline book titles. Depending on what style guide you’re using, you’ll either italicize book titles or put them in quotation marks. The most important thing is really just to be consistent. So if you italicize a book title on page 2, make sure you also do it on page 5. 

Susan is an English educator, editor, and writer who has enjoyed working within these fields since 2004. Her experience includes teaching at the high school and adult continuing education levels, and writing and editing for multiple regional publications, including Wrightsville Beach Magazine and Encore Magazine. Today she is a copywriter and editor for CastleBranch Inc., as well as editor in chief for the company’s internal e-magazine. A Southern transplant who moved from Ohio to North Carolina, she has embraced the word “y’all” and can tell you how she likes her grits. Check out her official website .

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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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Understanding the Use of Italics for Book Titles in Writing

Navigating the rules of grammar and style in writing can sometimes feel like trying to solve a complex puzzle. One common question that arises, especially for avid readers and writers, is whether book titles should be italicized. This isn't just a trivial query but a significant aspect of writing that reflects professionalism and adherence to style guidelines. In this article, we'll dive into the conventions surrounding the italicization of book titles, offering clear guidance and examples to ensure your writing is both accurate and engaging.

The Basics of Italics for Book Titles

When it comes to the written word, presentation matters as much as content. Italics are a crucial tool in this regard, especially for highlighting book titles. But why is this practice so important, and what are the rules governing it?

Why We Italicize Book Titles

Italics are used to distinguish certain titles from ordinary text. This is particularly important in academic writing, publishing, and other professional contexts where clarity and precision are key. By italicizing book titles, we set them apart, making it clear to the reader that these are published works and not just generic terms or concepts.

The General Rule

As a general rule, the titles of full-length works like books, novels, and similar publications should be italicized. This helps in clearly identifying them in any body of text, ensuring they stand out and are easily recognizable as titles.

Examples in Practice

• In academic essays: "In her analysis, the author references To Kill a Mockingbird extensively."
• In book reviews: "I found The Great Gatsby to be an intriguing reflection on the American Dream."
• In bibliographies: " 1984 by George Orwell."

When Not to Italicize

Not every instance calls for italics. For shorter works or components of a larger piece, such as chapters in a book or articles in a journal, quotation marks are typically used instead of italics.

Examples of Non-Italicized Titles

• Chapters: "My favorite chapter in Harry Potter is 'The Mirror of Erised.'"
• Articles: "Did you read 'The Impact of Global Warming' in the latest science journal?"

Special Considerations

While the above guidelines are widely accepted, there are always exceptions and special cases in English grammar.

Digital Writing and Italics

In digital writing, such as blogs or social media, italics might not always be available or practical. In such cases, using quotation marks or even capitalization can serve as alternatives.

Style Guide Variations

Different style guides (like APA, MLA, or Chicago) might have specific rules for italicization. It's always a good idea to consult the relevant guide if you're writing for a particular field or publication.

Mastering the use of italics for book titles is more than just following a rule; it's about respecting the written word and its many nuances. Whether you're an aspiring author, a student, or a professional writer, understanding and applying these conventions is crucial for clear and effective communication.

Remember, when in doubt, italicize that book title! It's a simple way to add clarity and professionalism to your writing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i italicize a book title in a handwritten document.

In handwritten documents, where italics aren't possible, underlining the title of a book is an acceptable alternative. This practice dates back to typewriters when underlining was used instead of italics.

Should book series titles be italicized?

Yes, the titles of book series should also be italicized. For example, Harry Potter , The Lord of the Rings , and The Chronicles of Narnia are all italicized.

Are there any exceptions to italicizing book titles?

The main exception is when the formatting isn't available or practical, such as in certain digital formats. In these cases, alternatives like quotation marks or capitalization can be used.

Do I italicize the titles of religious texts?

Titles of major religious texts, like the Bible or the Quran, are not typically italicized. However, specific editions or versions of these texts are italicized.

Is it ever acceptable to use bold for book titles instead of italics?

While bold can be used for emphasis, it's not standard practice to use bold for book titles. Italics are the preferred formatting choice for this purpose.

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When to Underline & When to Use Italics

Kathy Edens

To italicize or underline. That is the question. How do you handle the titles of magazines, books, newspapers, academic journals, films, television shows, long poems, plays, operas, works of art like paintings and sculptures, music albums, etc.?

Today’s Standards

Historically speaking, stick to your style guide, so what is a writer to do, exceptions to every rule.

Nowadays, more people use italics to designate titles, like our new e-book The Novel-Writing Training Plan: 17 Steps to Get Your Ideas in Shape for the Marathon of Writing . This helps distinguish titles of works from websites or links in your content, like ProWritingAid.com . Imagine if you underlined everything, your readers wouldn’t know what is a link and what is the title of a work.

Historically writers used underlines to specify titles. Before computers and keyboards, we had to hand-write (gasp!) our work or type it on a typewriter. Either way, italics wasn’t an option. You had to underline if you wanted to designate something.

With the advent of the internet, it became custom to use an underline to indicate a link rather than a title. Imagine if you underlined both online, your readers wouldn’t know what was clickable and what wasn’t.

In printed work, however, computers give us several options for punctuating and formatting our work, but there is still no firm and fast rule because different style guides handle titles and names of works differently.

The Chicago Manual of Style advises that titles of book, magazines, newspapers, works of art, long poem, and other complete works should be italicized.

Check out the Chicago Manual of Style website

The AP Stylebook, on the other hand, states otherwise.

Check out the AP Stylebook

If you’re submitting your work to an editor, he or she will usually edit your manuscript in the style they lean towards. If you’re submitting to a publisher, it’s best to learn their style first and format your manuscript according to their style guide.

Whichever route you choose, be consistent with it. If you start Chapter 1 by italicizing the names of books and music albums, you should still be italicizing works of art and the names of television shows in Chapter 20.

Same thing if you start off with underlining—stick with it.

Just because the English language isn’t confusing enough, there is an exception to both italics and underlining.

Long sacred works like the Bible or the Koran are never underlined or italicized.

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Kathy Edens is a blogger, a ghost writer, and content master who loves writing about anything and everything. Check out her books The Novel-Writing Training Plan: 17 Steps to Get Your Ideas in Shape for the Marathon of Writing and Creating Legends: How to Craft Characters Readers Adore... or Despise.

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Do You Italicize Book Titles? And Other Title Conundrums

by Alice Sudlow | 41 comments

Italics, quotation marks, underlines, plain old capital letters—when it comes to writing titles, the rules can feel like a confusing mess. Do you italicize book titles? What about movie titles?

And for goodness' sake, what should you do with pesky things like TV shows, short stories, or YouTube videos?

With so many different kinds of media, it's easy to get lost in all the rules. Plus, the rules can vary depending on which style guide you use. The Modern Language Association (MLA) follows a certain set of grammar rules, APA style another, and the Chicago Manual of Style outlines yet another. It's important to determine which style guide you'll use, then follow the rules for that specific style.

The good news is, when it comes to the use of italics, MLA, APA, and Chicago style share many commonalities. Let’s demystify these italics, shall we?

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 works, like a journal article title, song title, or a poem title, use quotation marks.

For example, you would italicize the name of the book, like Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , but you wouldn't italicize the book chapter titles, like “The Worst Birthday” and “Mudbloods and Murmurs.” Chapter titles go in quotation marks.

For some kinds of media, like book titles, the rules are clear. For others, like YouTube videos, they’re a little fuzzier.

Whatever kind of media you're working with, examine it through this principle: italics for large works; quotation marks for small or shorter works.

This principle will help you navigate those areas of uncertainty like a pro.

When Do You Italicize a Title?

Always italicize the titles of larger works such as books, movies, anthologies, newspapers and magazines. Additionally, newer media, such as vlogs and podcasts, may be italicized.

What are other examples of large works? I’m glad you asked.

A large work might be:

• A book , like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
• A movie , like The Dark Knight
• An anthology , like The Norton Anthology of English Literature
• A television show , like Friends
• A magazine , like The New Yorker
• A newspaper , like The New York Times
• An album , like Abbey Road

This principle holds true for newer forms of media, too, like:

• A vlog , like Vlogbrothers
• A podcast , like This American Life

The short answer: Do you italicize book titles? Yes.

When Do You Use Quotation Marks?

What do anthologies, TV shows, magazines, newspapers, vlogs, and podcasts all have in common? They’re all comprised of many smaller parts.

When you’re writing the title of a smaller work, put it in quotation marks. A small work might be:

• A short story , like “The Lottery”
• A poem , like “The Road Not Taken”
• An episode of a TV show , like “The One With the Monkey”
• An article in a magazine or newspaper , like “Obama’s Secret to Surviving the White House Years”
• A song , like “Here Comes the Sun”
• An episode of a vlog , like “Men Running on Tanks and the Truth About Book Editors”
• An episode of a podcast , like “Just What I Wanted”
• A webpage , like “Do You Italicize Book Titles? And Other Title Conundrums”

What About a Series of Books?

It's straightforward enough to capitalize the title of a standalone book, like Moby Dick or Pride and Prejudice . But what if you're referencing a book series?

In this case, each individual book title is italicized: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone , Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , etc.

The title of the series, though, is not italicized: the Harry Potter series.

What About Punctuation?

Do you italicize commas? Question marks? Exclamation points?

If the punctuation is part of the title, then yes, it too is italicized. For instance, every comma in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is italicized.

If the punctuation is not part of the title, though, be sure to turn off italics before you type it! Here's an example:

“What do you think of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe ?” “I love it! Also, Oklahoma! is one of my favorite musicals.”

Note that in the first example, the question mark is not italicized. In the second, the exclamation point is italicized because it's part of the title of the musical.

Do You Underline Titles? And Other Ways to Indicate Titles

We haven’t always used italics to indicate titles. Before word processing developed italics that were easy to type and easy to read, the titles of larger works were underlined. Since handwriting italics is difficult, underlining the titles of larger works is still an acceptable notation in handwritten documents.

As our communication evolves, so has our ways of indicating titles. If you’re writing a post on Facebook, for instance, there’s no option to italicize or underline. In situations where neither is an option, many people use ALL CAPS to indicate titles of larger works.

Be Clear and Consistent

Here’s the secret: in the end, all these rules are arbitrary anyway, and different style guides have developed their own nuances for what should and shouldn’t be italicized or put in quotation marks. If you're writing something formal, remember to double-check your style guide to make sure you're following their guidelines.

Remember, though, that ultimately, the only purpose for these rules is to help the reader understand what the writer is trying to communicate. Do you italicize book titles? Whatever you’re writing, whether it’s a dissertation or a tweet, be clear and consistent in the way you indicate titles.

If you hold to that rule, no one will be confused.

Are there any kinds of titles you’re not sure how to write? Let us know in the comments .

Need more grammar help? My favorite tool that helps find grammar problems and even generates reports to help improve my writing is ProWritingAid . Works with Word, Scrivener, Google Docs, and web browsers. Also, be sure to use my coupon code to get 20 percent off: WritePractice20

Coupon Code:WritePractice20 »

Your prompt: two friends are discussing their favorite media—books, podcasts, TV shows, etc. Write their conversation using as many titles as you can (and indicating them correctly!).

Pro tip: to italicize a title in the comments, surround the text with the HTML tags <em></em>.

Write for fifteen minutes . When you’re done, share your practice in the Pro Workshop here , and be sure to leave feedback for your fellow writers!

Not a member? Join us here .

Alice Sudlow

Alice Sudlow is the Editor-in-Chief of The Write Practice and a Story Grid certified developmental editor. Her specialty is in crafting transformative character arcs in young adult novels. She also has a keen eye for comma splices, misplaced hyphens, and well-turned sentences, and is known for her eagle-eyed copywriter skills. Get her free guide to how to edit your novel at alicesudlow.com .

41 Comments

In the movie, “Gone with the Wind”, Rhett Butler said, “Frankly Scarlet, I don’t give a damn!”

(Note: I was unable to use italics in this comment section…. Oh well!)

R. Allan Worrell

You’re running into that same problem that’s prompted the use of all caps on Facebook, and that used to standardize underlining titles: when technology makes it difficult to use the notation you want! That’s a fantastic quote nonetheless.

Alice –

Oh God! The problem with tech! Can you just imagine having a last name with 25 or 30 characters? Many Indian names (from India) are that large, and I would imagine some hyphenated names come close.

“Do not fold, spindle, or mutilate!” ha, ha, ha!

That line was printed on IBM punch cards… way before your time! I never did learn what the word “spindle” meant! ha, ha.

Do you know of any other tech “gotcha’s”???? I think this is a fun subject!

Cheers Alice!

R. Allan Worrell Author: Father John’s Gift

Though it seems content is really more important that the rules of conventions, I am glad to see others are as concerned about accuracy as I am. That said, take note that “Gone With the Wind” should be “Gone with the Wind.” Articles, prepositions, and conjunctions are not capitalized in titles.

I’m glad to hear you enjoyed this! I love thinking through all the nuances of tricky grammar rules and style guidelines, and I’m glad I’m not the only one.

You’re right about Gone with the Wind —according to Chicago style, prepositions aren’t capitalized. In general, though, on The Write Practice we lean towards AP style for title capitalization. That means capitalizing words with four or more letters, regardless of their part of speech. Thanks for pointing that out!

Most of this is what I thought. We used to underline; now we italicize.

However, what do you do when you’re talking about a newspaper as a company: I got a job at The Washington Post. Also, What about sayings: My mother always used to say, all’s well that ends well. My mother is not saying this now, so I can’t use quotes. Would I italicize?

We have the option of adding “that”: My mother used to say that all’s well that ends well.

Your mother used to say “All’s well that ends well.” with quotation marks being appropriate whether or not she’s alive. We still quote Mark Twain with quotation marks, and his death is no longer exaggerated.

Thank you, Wordwizard.

I wouldn’t italicize a company name, but I don’t know if there is generally a rule that dictates that.

I think there is a difference between Macy’s and The Washington Post. One is a publication; the other is not. And therein lies my question.

In Australian English at least, the main issue is context. If you mean The Washington Post as a company, then you use roman. If you mean The Washington Post as a publication, then you italicise.

That’s how I would do it too.

You’ve gotten some great answers below; I’ll just jump in to offer my confirmation.

In Chicago style, the company The Washington Post is not italicized: “She works for The Washington Post.” The publication is italicized: “I read an article in The Washington Post .”

As for the saying, you would put it in quotes. For instance: “All’s well that ends well,” as my mother used to say. You’re still quoting your mother, even if it’s not something she’s saying right now, so you would use quotation marks.

Books get treated one way, and short stories another, but where do novellas and novelettes fall? What if you are unsure which of the four slippery categories something falls within? A children’s picture book is the length of a short story—

Because a children’s picture book is a complete book, and because it is usually bound as a book, you do need to italicise its title. Remember also that the pictures are an inherent part of a children’s picture book, so if each picture adds a thousand words…

Under the standards for Australian English, the main consideration for formatting titles is whether the story is bound on its own or as part of a greater work.

So if your novella or novellette is published on its own, then the title should be formatted as a novel. If published as a part of a collection or anthology, it should be titled like a short story.

The categories as defined by the Hugo Awards categories (which I follow as I write speculative fiction) are below. I have sourced these from the Hugos website:

Novel: A story of forty thousand (40,000) words or more. Novella: A story of between seventeen thousand five hundred (17,500) and forty thousand (40,000) words. Novelette: A story of between seven thousand five hundred (7,500) and seventeen thousand five hundred (17,500) words. Short Story: A story of less than seven thousand five hundred (7,500) words.

Thank you, David. However, I need to know American conventions (British would be good, too.). Also, sometimes the same work is published both as a children’s book, and as a story in a larger work. What then?

I cannot actually tell you those conventions, but I do know that US English uses The Chicago Manual of Style which has an online portal.

British English uses The Oxford Manual of Style.

For works that have been published both alone and also as part of a greater work, I would recommend either using the style that relates to how you are citing the work. Alternatively, I would say you are free to choose whichever best suits your current need.

Davidh’s given some great answers, so there’s not a lot I can add.

Not sure about Chicago style, but MLA style (Modern Language Association style, used for research in literature and the humanities) would have you italicize the names of novellas and novelettes that have been published separately. For instance, Heart of Darkness is a novella, but because it’s been published as its own work, you would italicize the title.

If they have been published as works within a collection or anthology, you would indicate the title with quotation marks, as you would with a short story or poem.

Children’s books may be short, but they’re definitely books, their own complete works. Those titles are italicized.

If a novella or novelette has been published both independently and in a collection, I would err towards italicizing the title. Some anthologies, like The Norton Anthology of English Literature , include works of all lengths, even entire novels and plays. So if a novella has been published separately, I would italicize it, even if it appears elsewhere in a collection.

Obviously, some of these guidelines get dicier as I go along. I’d recommend checking out a copy of the Chicago Manual of Style or searching the manual online (you’ll need a subscription, though). Also, as you write, you can establish your own style to handle these nitty-gritty nuances. As all these style manuals indicate, the intricacies of indicating titles are guidelines, not hard-and-fast rules.

Hope that helps!

I only just finished editing several stories of a friend of mine, and I spent a lot of time struggling with italics. If it’s a name of a ship, do you italicize it? What about a government Act? e.g. Would you use italics the way I do in this sentence? “The government passed The Underwater Basket Weaving Act ?

Under Australian English at least, ship’s abbreviations are NOT italicised, but ship’s names are. So in HMAS Condamine, HMAS (“Her Majesty’s Australian Ship”) should be in roman, and Condamine should be in italics.

Very useful. Thanks again.

Again, in Australian English, the rules for Acts and Ordinances of Parliament are a little less simple than many other things.

Our Acts and Ordinances have short formal titles that are approved within the legislation.

The first time you refer to the Act or Ordinance within a work, you need to use the full title (exactly as defined within the Act, including the year, any articles, prepositions, etc.) in italics. Subsequent references need to be in roman text and may (as in optionally) omit the year.

You do not use quotation marks.

So the first time you mention it, it should be in italics: Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (sorry, I’m unsure how to put in italics here).

Subsequent mentions within the same work should be in roman text but can omit the year: Acts Interpretation Act.

I am not sure whether these standards apply outside of Australia, but they may be a good starting point for research into the proper form for your local English.

By the way, the Acts Interpretation Act is a real Act under Australian Law. It defines the rules on how to interpret other Acts of the Australian Parliament. I once wrote a short humour piece about it for a newspaper here.

That sounds reasonable. Thank you!

You are welcome! I enjoy this sort of thing!

Those are great questions, Karon—and those are the kinds of nitty-gritty things that make style rules like this complicated. Davidh’s given you great answers.

As he says, ships’ abbreviations aren’t italicized; their names are: USS Enterprise .

As far as I can tell, Chicago style would have you italicize the name of an act. The “the” isn’t part of the name, though, so it would look like this: the Underwater Basket Weaving Act .

This guide doesn’t cover every instance (like the two you brought up), and it’s a little out of date, but I still find it a helpful place to start when I’m wondering what italicize.

Thank you! I’m going to save your article and the one at the link.

Hi, Alice! This is a great post! I have always had doubts about that. I think I used to use quotation marks (for everything) in the past, but lately, I have been using italics (again, for everything). I don’t remember why I changed. But your rule is very simple and makes sense to me, so I think I am adopting it from now on. Thank you very much!

I have another doubt about titles: do you capitalize every word in a title? Or just the first word? Maybe every word, except for prepositions and conjunctions? I’d love to read a post about that!

Hi, Andressa! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

That’s a great question about titles, and there are a lot of different answers—different style guides say different things. Here’s a quick summary:

– Always capitalize the first word in a title. – Always capitalize the last word. – Capitalize all the important words.

That last point is where things get dicey. Chicago style does NOT capitalize articles, prepositions, and conjunctions. AP style DOES capitalize all words of four letters or longer.

I sometimes cheat and use an online title capitalization tool like this one to capitalize titles for me.

You’re right—there’s more than enough material for a post here. I’m taking note! 🙂

Hi! Thank you very much for replying! I’m taking notes here. Thank you for the helpful link, too! I’ll keep an eye out for a post on the topic. 😉

Thank you for this handy reminder.

The standards you describe appear identical to those used in Australian English.

Most national Englishes have their own standards, so it is important to know which authority is accepted for your own version of English.

So for Australian English, the official standard is the Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers published by Wylie. I understand that the Sixth Edition (published 2002) is still current.

The Style Manual is accepted by the Australian Government and various authorities to be the official standard for Australian English. It is a dry, but to me, nonetheless fascinating resource. I keep a copy on or next to my desk at all times.

This is very interesting. I’m not British, but we use British English in my country. I wonder if there is a style manual I can access.

I understand British English uses The Oxford Manual of Style. You may want to Google local retailers.

That’s so true—it’s important to follow the style guide for your type of writing. In the United States, we use several different style guides depending on the discipline and purpose of writing. AP style is used in journalism, for example, and Chicago style is used by book writers. Even between styles, there can be dramatic differences; check out this comparison of AP and Chicago style . (It’s a little out of date, but but still helpful.)

For this post, I’ve focused mainly on Chicago style guidelines for indicating titles. But of course, for any kind of formal writing, you’ll want to double-check the style guide that’s relevant to you.

Can titles of long or large works like books be in bold instead of italics? I often use italics to indicate thoughts. Is this the right way?

You’re not alone in using italics to indicate thoughts; that’s a very common way of writing them. When you write the title of a book within those thoughts, it’s actually not italicized for contrast:

I’ve never read Gone With the Wind , but maybe I should , she thought.

If you’re writing something less formal, like a post on your own blog or a letter to a friend, you could choose to use bold instead of italics. Just remember to be consistent within that work so that your readers understand that’s what you’re doing, since it’s not how we’re used to seeing titles.

I was taught to put titles of major books in bold, but has that changed to italics now?

I usually use quotation marks. It makes it easier. Thank you. This was really helpful!!

You’re welcome! I’m glad it’s been helpful.

I tend to type book titles in caps when I’m writing for emails, email lists, and various forms of promotion because a huge amount of time, the italics disappear. Sure, it’s wrong, but it beats having the book title disappear in a sea of text.

Thanks for sharing, my mother language, as you probably already noticed is not English, I published my first novel (in Spanish) and now I want to publish it in English, one of the first things I have to decide is if I use Italics, Capitalize all or it or what :-(. The title is “TAU 6 AND THE INVASION” it is a 300 pages science fiction novel. Can you make any recommendations? Best regads

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• Do You Use Quotes or Italics for Song and Album Titles? - […] stories, podcasts, TV shows, episodes . . . the list goes on and on. Want more italics advice? Check…
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