{"id":2931,"date":"2025-04-21T16:38:04","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T16:38:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.typecite.com\/?p=2931"},"modified":"2025-04-21T16:38:04","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T16:38:04","slug":"how-to-cite-a-short-story-in-apa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.typecite.com\/learn\/apa\/how-to-cite-a-short-story-in-apa\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Cite a Short Story in APA"},"content":{"rendered":"
Citing a short story in APA Style requires the same process as citing a chapter or article in an edited book. Short stories are typically contained in collections or anthologies edited by someone else. Therefore, both the author(s) of the short story and the anthology editor should be acknowledged.<\/span><\/p>\n
This article outlines how to cite a short story in APA Style using the correct reference list format. It also includes real-life examples with different scenarios, like two authors and an internet anthology.<\/span><\/p>\n
Key Citation Elements<\/h2>\n
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Author(s):<\/strong> Short story writer(s) name(s).<\/span><\/li>\n
Year:<\/strong> Publication year of the book or anthology.<\/span><\/li>\n
Title of short story:<\/strong> In sentence case (proper nouns and the first word only capitalized).<\/span><\/li>\n
Editor(s):<\/strong> Names with initials after, last name, and abbreviated as (Ed.) or (Eds.).<\/span><\/li>\n
Book\/Anthology title:<\/strong> In italics and in sentence case.<\/span><\/li>\n
Page range:<\/strong> Where the short story is to be found within the book.<\/span><\/li>\n
Publisher:<\/strong> Title of the publisher company.<\/span><\/li>\n
URL\/DOI:<\/strong> Only added in for online sources.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Example 1: Short Story with Two Authors in a Print Anthology<\/h3>\n
This is an example of citing a two-author short story in a print book:<\/span><\/p>\n
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Citation<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n
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D\u00edaz<\/span>, J<\/span>., &<\/span> Rivera<\/span>, M<\/span>. (2008)<\/span>. City of memory<\/span>. In T. Sloan<\/span> (Ed.)<\/span>, Modern Latino literature: A reader<\/i><\/span> (pp. 55\u201364)<\/span>. Beacon Press<\/span>.<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Structure<\/strong><\/td>\n
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Author 1 Surname<\/span>, Author 1 Initial<\/span>., &<\/span> Author 2 Surname<\/span>, Author 2 Initial.<\/span> (Year)<\/span>. Title of short story<\/span>. In Editor (Ed.)<\/span>, Title of book or anthology<\/i><\/span> (pp. xx\u2013xx)<\/span>. Publisher<\/span>.<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Example 2: Short Story in a Print Anthology with One Author<\/h3>\n
This is the typical print format for one author:<\/span><\/p>\n
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Citation<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n
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Walker,<\/span><\/span> A<\/span>. (2011)<\/span>. Everyday use<\/span>. In M. Meyer (Ed.)<\/span>, The Bedford introduction to literature<\/i><\/span> (pp. 417\u2013423)<\/span>. Bedford\/St. Martin’s<\/span>.<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Structure<\/strong><\/td>\n
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Author Surname<\/span>, Author Initial<\/span>. (Year)<\/span>. Title of short story<\/span>. In Editor (Ed.)<\/span>, Title of book or anthology<\/i><\/span> (pp. xx\u2013xx)<\/span>. Publisher<\/span>.<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Example 3: Short Story from an Online Anthology<\/h3>\n
This example includes a piece of online-reading material with a working URL:<\/span><\/p>\n
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Citation<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n
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Oates<\/span>, J. C<\/span>. (2006)<\/span>. Where are you going, where have you been?<\/span> In M. Kennedy & D. Gioia (Eds.)<\/span>, Literature: An introduction to fiction, poetry, drama, and writing<\/i><\/span> (pp. 106\u2013118)<\/span>. Pearson<\/span>. https:\/\/www.classhorts.com\/stories\/where<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Structure<\/strong><\/td>\n
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Author Surname<\/span>, Author Initial(s)<\/span>. (Year)<\/span>. Title of short story<\/span>. In Editor (Eds.)<\/span>, Title of book or anthology<\/i><\/span> (pp. xx\u2013xx)<\/span>. Publisher<\/span>. URL<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Note: Always cite the source’s stable and exact URL. If a DOI exists, use it instead of a URL.<\/span><\/p>\n
Example 4: Short Story in a Periodical (Journal)<\/h3>\n
This example shows how to cite a short story published in an academic journal or magazine.<\/span><\/p>\n
Author 1 Surname<\/span>, Author 1 Initial<\/span>., & Author 2 Surname<\/span>, Author 2 Initial<\/span>. (Year)<\/span>. Title of short story<\/span>. Title of book or anthology<\/span>, <\/i>Vol<\/i><\/span>(Issue)<\/span>, (pp. xx\u2013xx)<\/span>. URL<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Note: Ensure the story title is in sentence case, the journal title is italicized, and both volume and issue numbers are included.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Use the Publication Date of the Anthology You Consulted: <\/strong>Short stories are often reprinted in different anthologies or editions. Although the story first appeared decades ago, you must cite the edition that you actually read. This will allow your readers to locate the exact source that you read, especially since page numbers and editors vary from one edition to another. If you are citing a vintage story reprinted in a modern collection, always include the date of publication of that collection in your citation.<\/span><\/p>\n
Employ Hanging Indent Style for Reference Entries: <\/strong>APA Style requires all reference list entries to be presented in a hanging indent format. That means each citation will have the first line against the left margin and the remainder of the line indented by 0.5 inches. The style increases readability and helps distinguish between single entries within an extensive list. Not using a hanging indent is a common format error that can lower the general presentation of your scholarship.<\/span><\/p>\n
Alphabetize Entries by Last Name of the Short Story Author:<\/strong> <\/span>APA reference list entries are alphabetized by author of the short story, not alphabetized by title or by editor name. If you need to cite multiple short stories included in one anthology, as separate references and alphabetize by authors’ surname. For works published by the same author, arrange them in chronological order according to year of publication (from oldest to newest).<\/span><\/p>\n
Use “Eds.” When Citing Anthologies with Multiple Editors:<\/strong> <\/span>If the anthology has more than one editor, replace the singular abbreviation (Ed.) with the plural (Eds.) to properly reflect the editorial staff. List all editors listed on the title page of the book. Use an ampersand (&) only before the last editor’s name. Editors should be indicated in the format of initials and last names. This information is especially important when recording large academic anthologies or literature collections with editorial staffs.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n