In MLA, Are Short Stories Italicized In Citations?

When writing, it’s important to know how to properly format the titles of different works, especially short stories. So, are short stories italicized? The simple answer is: No, short story titles are not italicized; they are placed within quotation marks. Why Short Stories Use Quotation Marks Instead of Italics Short stories are considered shorter works or parts of a larger collection. According to widely accepted style guides like MLA (Modern Language Association), APA (American Psychological Association), and Chicago Manual of Style, titles of shorter works—such as short stories, poems, articles, essays, or chapters—should be enclosed in quotation marks. This formatting distinguishes them from longer, standalone works, which are italicized. When to Use Italics Titles of complete or longer works are italicized. This includes: Novels and books Journals and magazines Newspapers Films and TV shows Albums and symphonies For example, the novel To Kill a Mockingbird is italicized because it is a complete work, while a short story within a collection, like “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe, is placed in quotation marks. Examples to Clarify Correct: I just finished reading the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. Correct: My favorite novel is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Correct: The article titled “Climate Change and Its Effects” was very informative. Correct: She watched The Godfather last night. Consistency and Style Guide Recommendations Choosing a style guide helps maintain consistency throughout your writing. Here’s a quick overview: MLA Style: Uses quotation marks for short works and italics for longer works. APA Style: Similar to MLA; short works in quotation marks, long works italicized. Chicago Style: Also follows this convention, with some variations in punctuation. Always apply the chosen style consistently for professional and polished writing. In Summary: Short stories = quotation marks Books and complete works = italics Follow a recognized style guide (MLA, APA, Chicago) for consistency. Correct formatting not only clarifies your meaning but also demonstrates your attention to detail in writing.

Most of the time, short stories are not italicized on a works cited list. In the big three style guides you’ll usually see them treated as shorter works: in MLA and Chicago they get quotation marks and the book or journal they appear in is italicized. So you’d cite a story like 'The Lottery' in quotes, then italicize the anthology or collection title that contains it. If a short story was published as a standalone book (less common but it happens with famous pieces or special editions), then the standalone book title is italicized because you’re citing a whole book. Also, online publications follow the same principle: the site or journal title is italicized while the short story title itself is not. I always double-check the specific style (and my professor’s preferences) because small details like punctuation and page ranges can vary, but as a general rule keep short story titles in quotes and reserve italics for the container — which feels tidy and logical to me.

I get a lot of questions about this in casual chats and style debates, so here's the straightforward scoop I use whenever I'm putting together a bibliography. In Chicago style, short stories are not italicized; they are set in quotation marks. That means the short story title itself appears in quotes, while the title of the book or collection that contains it is the element that gets italicized. For example, you would treat 'The Lottery' as the story title and the collection it appears in as the larger, italicized work. If the short story was published as part of an anthology or a magazine, the bibliography entry follows the same logic: story title in quotes, magazine or anthology title italicized, and then the usual publication details. One important caveat I always mention when teaching friends: if a short story has been published as a standalone book-length edition, Chicago will treat that standalone as a full work and it would be italicized. Mostly, though, short stories you cite from collections stay quoted. I find that sticking to this rule keeps my references tidy and readers unconfused.

I field this one all the time in study groups and editing sessions: short stories get quotation marks in the running text and are not italicized. In APA style you put short works like short stories, poems, chapters, and articles in quotation marks when you mention them in your prose, so you'd write something like: Shirley Jackson’s short story 'The Lottery' explores communal ritual and violence. Notice the story title sits inside quotes and uses title capitalization when mentioned in the text. If you’re putting the source in the reference list, the rules shift a bit. The short story title appears in plain text (sentence case) without quotation marks, and the book or anthology that contains it is italicized. So a reference for a story in an edited collection will show the story title, then the editors and the italicized book title and publisher information. I always double-check the latest APA examples, but this two-tier approach (quotes in-text, plain sentence-case title + italics for the container in references) has saved me from a lot of formatting headaches. It’s tidy and makes short works stand out without stealing the visual weight of book titles — which I actually appreciate when proofreading.

Whenever I pull together an essay, I treat short stories like little jewels inside a larger showcase. In most academic and publishing styles, short story titles get quotation marks while longer works — novels, entire short-story collections, magazines — are italicized. So if I'm mentioning a piece like 'The Lottery', I put it in quotes; if I'm referring to the collection 'Dubliners' or the magazine 'The New Yorker', I italicize those. This helps readers instantly know whether I'm talking about a single short work or a broader container. I also pay attention to context and medium. If I'm handwriting an essay and can't italicize, I underline titles of books and collections, and put short stories in quotes. And if a short story was published as a standalone book (rarer, but it happens), many style guides will let you italicize it because it functions like a book. That little practical choice has saved me from awkward formatting more than once, and it makes essays look cleaner and smarter to my eye.

On my blog I tend to follow the big style guides because readers notice consistency more than they notice the exact choice of punctuation. Generally, short stories are not italicized for emphasis — they get quotation marks. Style guides like MLA and Chicago put short works (short stories, poems, articles, chapters) in quotes and reserve italics for longer works such as novels, journals, or movies. If you italicize a short story title in the middle of a post, it can look like you’re trying to treat it as a book or doing a weird bit of emphasis, which muddles the visual hierarchy. Practical tip: if the story is the main focus, use a heading (H2/H3) for the title and save italics for specific words you actually want to emphasize. That approach keeps things clean and accessible, and it’s what I usually do because I like posts that read smoothly and look tidy on mobile.

I’ve had to master MLA formatting, especially for book citations. In-text citations in MLA are straightforward but require attention to detail. When citing a book, you typically include the author’s last name and the page number in parentheses, like this: (Smith 45). If the author’s name is mentioned in the sentence, only the page number goes in the citation. For example: Smith argues that... (45). If the book has multiple authors, list them all in the citation: (Smith, Jones, and Brown 23). For works with no known author, use a shortened version of the title instead: ('Book Title' 12). It’s also important to ensure the citation matches the full entry in the Works Cited page. Consistency is key—always double-check spelling, punctuation, and formatting to avoid losing marks over small errors.

I’ve come to appreciate the precision of MLA citations. When citing a book in-text, you include the author’s last name and the page number in parentheses, like this: (Smith 45). If the author’s name is mentioned in the sentence, you only need the page number: Smith argues this point (45). For books with multiple authors, list up to two names: (Smith and Jones 72). If there are three or more, use the first author’s last name followed by 'et al.': (Smith et al. 112). It’s also important to note that if you’re citing multiple works by the same author, include a shortened title to distinguish them: (Smith, 'Midnight Tales' 45). MLA keeps things clean and straightforward, which I love because it lets the writing shine without clutter.

I’ve had to use MLA format more times than I can count. The correct way to cite a book in-text using MLA is straightforward once you get the hang of it. You include the author’s last name and the page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence where the reference appears. For example, if you’re quoting from 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald and the quote is on page 45, your citation would look like this: (Fitzgerald 45). No comma separates the name and page number, and the period goes after the closing parenthesis. This method keeps the flow of your writing smooth while giving credit where it’s due. There are a few nuances to keep in mind. If the author’s name is already mentioned in the sentence, you only need to include the page number in the citation. For instance, if you write, 'Fitzgerald describes the green light as a symbol of hope (45),' the reader knows the source from the context. For books with two authors, list both last names, like (Smith and Jones 112). If there are three or more authors, use the first author’s last name followed by 'et al.,' as in (Lee et al. 203). This keeps citations concise without sacrificing clarity. When citing a book with no known author, use a shortened version of the title in place of the author’s name. For example, a citation for 'A Guide to Medieval Life' would be ('Guide' 78). Make sure the title is italicized in your Works Cited page but not in the in-text citation. For translated works, credit the original author, not the translator, in the citation. If you’re citing multiple works by the same author, include a shortened title to distinguish them, like (Orwell, '1984' 120) and (Orwell, 'Animal Farm' 45). MLA is all about consistency and clarity, so as long as your reader can easily find the source in your Works Cited list, you’re on the right track.