How to Cite a Short Story in MLA

• Tomas Elliott (Ph.D.)
• Published on 08/18/2025

It requires attention to detail to cite a short story in Modern Language Association (MLA) style requires attention to detail, as the citation format changes depending on where the story is found. MLA style provides clear instructions for short stories published in books, anthologies, magazines, or online platforms. 

This guide explains how to cite a short story in MLA in three common situations: when the story is published in a book or anthology, when it is in an edited book, and when it is found online. Real-world examples are included using MLA’s recommended structure.

Citing a Short Story from a Book or Anthology

When a short story is found in a book or anthology, the citation should begin with the author of the story, not the editor of the collection. The story’s title should be in quotation marks, while the title of the book or anthology should be italicized. MLA requires that the publisher, year of publication, and page range be included.

Important Points

• The author listed is the person who wrote the short story, not the person who compiled or edited the book.
• The story title is in double quotation marks, using headline-style capitalization.
• The book title is italicized.
• “pp.” is placed before the page range.
• Use the most recent publication year of the edition being cited, not the original publication date unless relevant.

Citation Example

Citation	Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. “Cell One.” The Thing Around Your Neck, Knopf, 2009, pp. 1–20.
Structure	Author Surname, First Name. “Story Title.” Title of Source, Publisher, Year, pp. Page range.

Citing a Short Story in an Edited Book

Sometimes, a short story appears in a book that is compiled and edited by another person. In such cases, MLA requires that the editor’s name be included after the title of the book. If an edition is specified and is not the first, it should also be mentioned. The rest of the citation includes the publisher, year, and page range.

Important Points

• The author of the story is listed first, followed by the title in quotation marks.
• The book title is italicized, followed by “edited by” and the editor’s name.
• If the edition is not the first, it should be mentioned (e.g., 2nd ed., 3rd ed.).
• Include the page numbers where the story appears.

Citation Example

Citation	Munro, Alice. “Miles City, Montana.” Canadian Women’s Writing, edited by Christl Verduyn, 2nd ed., Oxford UP, 2010, pp. 145–162.
Structure	Author’s Surname, First Name. “Title Short Story” Title of Book, edited by Editor’s First Name Editor’s Surname, Edition, Publisher, Year, pp. Page range.

Citing a Short Story from an Online Source

If a short story is accessed online, the citation should include the author, title of the story, the name of the website or online publication, the date of publication, and the URL. MLA recommends omitting “http://” or “https://” from URLs.

Important Points

• Use the publication date given on the webpage, not the date of access, unless the publication date is unavailable.
• The name of the online publication or website is italicized.
• End the citation with the direct URL to the story.
• MLA no longer requires “Accessed” dates unless the source is likely to change.

Citation Example

Citation	Patchett, Ann. “Flight Plan.” The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2021, newyorker.com/mag/2021/03/15/flight-plan.
Structure	Author Surname, First Name. “Story Title.” Website Title, Day Month Year, URL.

Reversing Author and Editor Roles: The error in this case is when the editor’s name is placed before the author of the story. MLA requires that the story author always be cited first. Omitting Page Numbers in Print Sources: Some citations leave out the page range, which is required for short stories from books or anthologies. Using the Wrong Date for Online Publications: The date on the page where the story appears should be used, not the date of access unless the story has no publication date. Keep Original Punctuation in Titles: When a title of a short story contains a punctuation mark such as a question mark, exclamation point, or colon, leave it just the way it appears in the original. Use a DOI Where Possible for Online Sources: If the short story is a journal or database publication that provides a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), use this in place of a normal URL for more stable referencing.