It seems that many (most of?) newspapers and journals don’t use quotation marks in constructions like "call it [something] for short". Or even italic. Is it really okay to keep it plain?
No quotation marks, no italic:
- Let’s call it ACG for short. – Independent
- Properly speaking, marc is the mass of pulpy leftovers; officially, the distillate is eau de vie de marc, but people call it marc for short. – The New York Times – Food
- The organizers hope that Smorgasburg (call it Smorg for short) will become a weekly addiction that ramps up the connection between upstate farmers and city purveyors of high-quality local food, and celebrates the borough’s chauvinism. – The New York Times
- We call it spectral ridge for short. – EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing
Quotation marks:
- No, we can’t pronounce it either, preferring to simply call it "OB" for short. – Huffington Post
- The overwhelming question on the mind of the hiring manager as she scans your material is, "What’s In it For Me?" Let’s call it "WIFM" for short. – Science Magazine