If you’re wondering whether short stories should be italicized or put in quotation marks, the answer depends on the style guide you’re following. In most academic and editorial contexts, short story titles are placed in quotation marks, while longer works such as books, collections, and anthologies are italicized.
That rule is simple, but the details can vary slightly by format, publication, and citation style. Here’s a clear guide to help you format short story titles correctly and consistently.
Are short stories italicized or quoted?
Short stories are usually placed in quotation marks, not italicized. In standard American usage, italics are reserved for larger standalone works such as novels, books, magazines, and collections, while short story titles appear in quotation marks because they are shorter works within a larger whole.
Why short stories use quotation marks
Short stories are treated as smaller pieces that often appear inside a collection, journal, magazine, or anthology. Quotation marks signal that the title belongs to a shorter work, just as they do for poems, essays, and chapters in many style systems.
This convention helps readers distinguish between a single story and an entire published volume. For example, a short story title is formatted differently from the title of the collection that contains it.
Example of the basic rule
- Short story: “The Lottery”
- Collection or book: The Lottery and Other Stories
In that example, the individual story is quoted, while the book-length collection is italicized.
When to italicize a short story title
Strictly speaking, the short story itself is not italicized. However, italics may appear in related situations, such as when the title of a collection, anthology, magazine, or book is being cited alongside the story title.
Italicize the larger work, not the story
- Short story: “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”
- Collection: A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories
- Magazine: The New Yorker
If you are discussing where a story was published, the publication title is italicized, but the story title remains in quotation marks.
How this works in common style guides
Most major style systems agree on the general rule, though punctuation details can differ. If you are writing for school, a publication, or a website, it is best to follow the style guide your instructor, editor, or organization prefers.
MLA style
In MLA style, short story titles are typically placed in quotation marks. Titles of books, collections, and periodicals are italicized. This is one of the most widely used formatting systems in literature classes.
APA style
APA also uses quotation marks for short story titles when they are mentioned in text or references, while longer works are italicized. The same general distinction applies: shorter works are quoted, larger works are italicized.
Chicago style
Chicago style follows the same broad convention. Short story titles are enclosed in quotation marks, and book-length works are italicized. If you are preparing a manuscript or bibliography, Chicago’s broader punctuation rules may also affect commas, periods, and citation formatting.
Short stories versus other literary forms
It helps to compare short stories with other kinds of writing, because the formatting rule is really about work length and hierarchy. The smaller the piece, the more likely it is to be quoted rather than italicized.
- Short story: “The Tell-Tale Heart”
- Poem: “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”
- Essay: “A Room of One’s Own”
- Novel or collection: Frankenstein
- Anthology: Interpreter of Maladies
These are general formatting patterns, not rules about literary value. A short story can be as complex as a novel, but it is still usually formatted as a shorter work.
What about short story collections and anthologies?
This is where many writers get confused. If you are naming the collection that contains the story, italicize the collection title. If you are naming the individual story, use quotation marks.
Examples
- Dubliners contains “The Dead.”
- Interpreter of Maladies includes “A Temporary Matter.”
- The Things They Carried includes “The Man I Killed.”
That distinction remains the same whether you are writing a paper, a review, or a reading list.
How to format short story titles in a sentence
When you mention a short story in prose, place the title in quotation marks and capitalize it according to standard title capitalization rules. Do not underline it unless your required style specifically asks for that older convention.
Correct examples
- I studied Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” in class.
- “The Yellow Wallpaper” is often discussed as a feminist text.
- My favorite story in the collection is “Everyday Use.”
Incorrect examples
- I studied Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery in class.
- I studied Shirley Jackson’s “the lottery” in class.
- I studied Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery in class.
The first error uses italics where quotation marks are expected, and the second and third ignore standard title formatting.
What if the title appears in a heading or bibliography?
Headings, reference lists, and bibliographies may have slightly different formatting rules depending on the style guide. Still, the core principle usually stays the same: short story titles are quoted, while the larger source is italicized.
In a bibliography or works cited entry
You may need to include the story title, the collection title, the editor, publisher, and page range. The exact arrangement depends on the citation style, but the title formatting itself usually does not change.
For example, a citation may list a story title in quotation marks and the anthology title in italics. If you are unsure, check the required style manual rather than guessing.
Common mistakes to avoid
Many formatting errors come from mixing up story titles with book titles or from applying one convention too broadly. A few simple checks can prevent most problems.
- Do not italicize the short story title unless a specific style guide tells you otherwise.
- Do not use quotation marks for book titles such as collections or novels.
- Keep punctuation consistent across your essay, review, or citation list.
- Use title case unless your style guide requires sentence case.
If you are editing your own writing, read the title aloud in context. If it names a single story, quotation marks are usually the right choice.
Why this matters in literary writing
Correct title formatting may seem small, but it signals care, clarity, and familiarity with literary convention. In academic writing especially, proper formatting helps readers quickly identify whether you are referring to a story, a book, or a larger publication.
It also makes your writing easier to scan. When formatting is consistent, the structure of your sources becomes clearer, which is especially useful in essays, annotated bibliographies, and reading guides.
Quick answer to remember
If you only need the short version: short stories are usually quoted, not italicized. Italics are reserved for the larger work that contains the story, such as a book, collection, or magazine title.
For more help with story formatting and literary style, you may also find this guide to short story title formatting and this article on formatting dialogue in a story useful.