A short story work cited entry starts with the story’s author and title, then lists the container details that show where you read it.
You’ve got the quote. You’ve got the page number. Then you hit the snag: “How do I format the Works Cited entry for a short story?”
This is where papers lose points. Not because the writing is weak, but because the citation has one wrong piece: the story title isn’t in quotation marks, the container is missing, page range is skipped, or the URL gets jammed into the wrong spot.
Use this page when you want a clean short story work cited entry in MLA style, plus a quick way to check it before you submit. You’ll see what changes based on where you read the story and what stays the same every time.
Short Story Work Cited Formats By Source Type
Short stories show up in collections, textbooks, magazines, databases, and websites. Your entry changes with the source type, so start by naming the place you read it.
| Where You Read The Story | What To Record | Entry Shape |
|---|---|---|
| Anthology or textbook (print) | Story author + title; book title; editor; publisher; year; page range | Story. “Title.” Book, edited by Editor, Publisher, Year, pp. xx–xx. |
| Single-author collection (print) | Story author + title; book title; publisher; year; page range | Story. “Title.” Collection Title, Publisher, Year, pp. xx–xx. |
| Literary magazine (print) | Story author + title; magazine title; volume/issue; date; pages | Story. “Title.” Magazine, vol. #, no. #, Date, pp. xx–xx. |
| Magazine or journal (online) | Story author + title; site/periodical title; date; URL | Story. “Title.” Periodical, Date, URL. |
| Library database (PDF or HTML) | Story author + title; original source details; database name; stable link/DOI | Story. “Title.” Source, Date, pages. Database Name, DOI/URL. |
| Website page | Story author + title; site name; publisher (if shown); date; URL | Story. “Title.” Site Name, Publisher, Date, URL. |
| E-book | Story author + title; book title; publisher; year; format or platform | Story. “Title.” Book, Publisher, Year. E-book. |
| Translated story | Story author + title; translator; container details; pages or URL | Story. “Title.” Translated by Translator, Container, details, pp. xx–xx. |
What To Collect Before You Write The Entry
Most citation trouble comes from missing facts. Before you format anything, gather the details that belong to your source type. Two minutes here can save ten minutes later.
- Story author: last name, then first name as printed.
- Story title: copy it exactly, including subtitles.
- Container title: the book, site, database, or magazine that holds the story.
- Other contributors: editor, translator, or sometimes a site creator.
- Publisher: the book publisher, the website publisher, or the platform if it functions as publisher.
- Date: year for print books, full date for many web sources.
- Location: page range for print/PDF, or a DOI/URL for web sources.
Write these down in a simple note first. When you’re ready to format, you’ll be picking from a set of known facts instead of hunting for them mid-sentence.
How MLA Builds A Works Cited Entry
MLA entries follow a steady order. You list the facts you have, in the order MLA expects, with the punctuation that signals each part. MLA calls these building blocks “core elements.” If you want the official layout, use the MLA reference page on Works Cited: A Quick Guide.
For a short story, your first two moves rarely change:
- Author of the short story.
- Title of the short story in quotation marks.
After that, you shift into the container: the place where the story lives. That container might be a book, a magazine, a database, or a site page. The container details tell your reader how to find the same version you used.
Start With The Story Itself
Begin with the author’s last name, then first name. Add the story title in quotation marks, then a period.
That gives you a clean base that works across sources:
Last, First. “Story Title.”
From there, everything you add answers one question: “Where did I read it?”
Add The Container That Holds The Story
If the story sits inside a book, the book is the container. If it sits on a web page, the site name is the container. If you found a PDF in a database, you often have two layers: the original publication plus the database that delivered it.
Use the container title in italics, then follow with the details that identify that container: editor (when it’s a collection), publisher, date, and location.
Common Short Story Work Cited Setups
These are the setups students run into most. Pick the one that matches what you used, then fill in your facts.
Story In An Anthology Or Textbook
This is the classic classroom scenario: the short story is one part of a bigger book. Your Works Cited entry names the story first, then the book, plus editor details if the book credits one.
Author. “Story Title.” Book Title, edited by Editor Name, Publisher, Year, pp. xx–xx.
If your book lists multiple editors, keep the order the book uses, then use “edited by” once.
Story In A Single-Author Collection
If the story appears inside a book of stories by the same writer, you still cite the story as the source, then cite the book as container.
Author. “Story Title.” Collection Title, Publisher, Year, pp. xx–xx.
One nice perk: there’s often no editor line, so the entry stays short and tidy.
Story In A Print Magazine
For a print magazine or journal, the container is the magazine title. Add volume and issue if the source uses them, then date and pages.
Author. “Story Title.” Magazine Title, vol. #, no. #, Date, pp. xx–xx.
If the magazine uses only a month and year, keep that form. If it uses a full date, keep that.
Story On A Website
When the story is a web page, you still start with story author and story title. Then you list the website name, publisher (if shown), date, and URL.
Some short stories are posted to a site by someone other than the author. MLA has a specific note on how to handle site-level creators in that case. Use the MLA entry on citing a short story posted to a website if that matches what you’re dealing with.
General shape:
Author. “Story Title.” Website Name, Publisher, Date, URL.
If there’s no publisher listed, you can often omit it and move to the date.
Story Found Through A Database
Databases are a two-step situation. You read the story through a platform, but the story also belongs to an original container like a magazine issue, a collection, or a book chapter scan.
Start with the story and its original container details. Then add the database name and a stable link or DOI if you have one.
Author. “Story Title.” Original Container, Date, pages. Database Name, DOI/URL.
Use a stable link when your library provides one. If the database gives you a DOI, that tends to stay cleaner than a long session-based URL.
In-Text Citations That Match Your Works Cited
Your in-text citation points back to the first element of your Works Cited entry. For most short stories, that first element is the author’s last name. Pair it with the page number when you have pages.
If you’re quoting from a print book, you’ll often end with something like (Jackson 42). If you’re using a web page with no stable page numbers, many teachers accept just the author name or a short title when no author is listed. Match your instructor’s class rules when they get more specific than the general MLA pattern.
Before you submit, check that the in-text name matches your Works Cited entry. “O’Connor” in text needs “O’Connor, Flannery” in Works Cited, not “Connor, Flannery.” Small mismatches look sloppy.
Special Cases That Trip People Up
Short stories come with quirks. These fixes keep your citations clean without turning your page into a mess.
No Author Listed
If no author is credited, start the Works Cited entry with the short story title. Your in-text citation uses a shortened title in quotation marks.
Watch the difference between “no author” and “author hidden in the page.” On sites, the author name may sit near the top, the bottom, or inside an “About” link. If the author is present, use it.
Translated Short Story
If you used a translated version, include the translator as an “other contributor.” Put “Translated by” before the translator’s name.
Author. “Story Title.” Translated by Translator Name, Container, Publisher, Year, pp. xx–xx.
If you’re comparing translation choices, this line helps your reader track the exact version you quoted.
Reprint Inside A New Collection
Sometimes a story has an original publication date, then gets reprinted years later in a new book. Cite the version you used. If your edition lists an original date that your class wants recorded, place it where your instructor asks for it, often in the edition details or note.
PDF Scans And Page Numbers
PDFs often keep page numbers that match the print source. Use the page range in Works Cited when it’s clear. If the PDF page count is only a viewer counter with no tie to the print layout, rely on the container plus stable link instead of guessing pages.
Audio Readings And Recordings
If you listened to a recorded reading of a short story, the container changes again. You may be citing a recording on a platform rather than a print text. In that case, you still start with the story author and title, then cite the container that delivered the audio, plus date and URL. Add a performer line only when it helps identify the version you used.
Finish And Check Your Page Before You Turn It In
A Works Cited page is easy to skim, so a small formatting slip stands out. Use this checklist to polish your citations fast.
| Check | What To Look For | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Quotation marks | Short story titles are in quotation marks | Put “Story Title” in quotes, not italics |
| Italics | Container titles are italicized | Italicize book, magazine, database, or site name |
| Order | Story first, container second | Move the book/site details after the story title |
| Pages | Print sources list a page range when known | Use pp. xx–xx for a range |
| Dates | Web sources show the date given on the page | Use the date format the site uses |
| URLs | Links are stable, not session-based | Use a permalink or DOI when available |
| Consistency | In-text citations match Works Cited first element | Align author spelling or short title form |
Copy-Ready MLA Examples You Can Model
Use these as models, then swap in your own facts. Keep your capitalization and punctuation steady, and don’t copy details that don’t match your source.
Story In An Anthology
Ng, Celeste. “Saturday.” Contemporary Stories of Home, edited by Marisol Vega, Riverbend Press, 2022, pp. 118–136.
Story In A Single-Author Collection
Diaz, Junot. “Alma.” Night Streets, Beacon House, 2019, pp. 41–59.
Story On A Website
Walker, Alice. “Roselily.” Fiction Archive, Fiction Archive Press, 3 May 2020, https://example.org/roselily.
Story Through A Database
Okafor, Nnedi. “The River’s Answer.” Sunlit Review, vol. 12, no. 2, 2021, pp. 22–31. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/0000000.
One last pass: confirm that every source you quoted in the paper appears on the Works Cited page, and every entry on the Works Cited page is cited in the paper. When those two lists match, your citations stop being a stress point and start being a quiet strength.