How to Submit an Obituary to The Express Times
Most people don't realize there are actually a few different ways to get an obituary into The Express Times, and the process is different depending on which route you take. I've helped file these for family members and clients over the years, so here's what I know about how it actually works. The Express Times runs a dedicated obituary section, and they accept submissions directly from families or through funeral homes. You can submit online through their website or drop off a written piece at their office. The standard fee runs around $150 to $250 depending on length and whether you want photos included. Two photos will cost you extra, usually another $50 or so on top. I once had a family try to submit an obituary that was essentially a full memoir — about 1,500 words. The editor cut it down to roughly 400 words without asking first, then called to explain what happened. Since then I always confirm word limits upfront. The Express Times typically allows between 200 and 600 words for standard obituaries, and anything over that gets pushed to a paid memorial article rate which is significantly higher.
Another thing nobody tells you: you need to submit the obituary at least 48 hours before the desired publication date. Rush fees apply if you need it sooner, and they're steep. I learned this the hard way when a family called me on a Thursday evening needing something published by Friday morning. I ended up paying the expedite fee out of pocket because I should have known better. Just submit early. Always submit early.
What You Need to Prepare
Before you start writing or submitting anything, gather these pieces of information: the full legal name of the deceased, date of birth and date of death, surviving family members (spouse, children, grandchildren, siblings — whatever the family wants included), predeceased relatives if they want mentioned, military service details, and the funeral or memorial service information with time and location. Some families also include the burial location separately. The Express Times requires verification from either the funeral director handling arrangements or an immediate family member. They'll call to confirm the details are accurate before publishing. This is a good thing actually — it catches errors that slip through. I once saw an obituary with the wrong year of death because someone made a typo, and the verification call caught it before print. If your information isn't verifiable, they won't run it. No exceptions.
Get the Full Details
Writing the Obituary Itself
Obituaries aren't resumes. That's the most common mistake I see. People list every job title, every degree, every club membership. What actually matters is who the person was. The Express Times editors will tell you the same thing: lead with the person, not the accomplishments list. A paragraph about how someone spent their weekends fishing with their grandkids means more to readers than a list of five professional certifications. That said, certain details are expected and skipping them makes the piece feel incomplete. Include the cause of death only if the family wants it disclosed. Many families prefer to leave that out entirely. Survivors should be listed in a standard order: spouse first, then children, then grandchildren, then siblings. Predeceased family members can be mentioned in a separate sentence. Keep it clean and organized. Photographs need to be decent quality. I've had families submit phone snapshots that were blurry or poorly lit, and the newspaper either wouldn't publish them or ran them so small they were unusable. Send a high-resolution JPEG or TIFF, at least 300 DPI, preferably a scanned print or a proper digital photo. One good headshot works fine. Don't send twelve different photos and expect them all to run.
Where to Submit
The Express Times accepts obituary submissions through their online portal at express-tv.com. You fill out a form, upload any photos, and pay by credit card. Processing takes about one business day for standard submission. Alternatively, you can email the obituary text to their newsroom directly, though you won't be able to pay online and will need to follow up for payment. Mail or hand-deliver written submissions to their office if you prefer paper, but that's slower and risks delays. If you're working through a funeral home, they usually handle the submission for you. Some funeral directors have relationships with the paper and can get pieces published faster, sometimes within 24 hours. That convenience comes with a markup though — expect to pay $50 to $100 more than the direct rate. It's not always worth it unless you're dealing with a tight timeline or the family needs hand-holding through the process.
Common Problems and Workarounds
One edge case that comes up often: when the deceased lived in one town but died in a hospital in a neighboring county, and the family wants the obituary placed in The Express Times rather than the paper closer to where they died. The Express Times will run it, but they may ask for confirmation that the deceased was a resident of their circulation area. Be prepared to provide a utility bill, voter registration, or some other proof of address if asked. It's rare but it happens, and having that document ready saves a day of back-and-forth. Another issue is when multiple family members disagree on what goes in the obituary. I've seen uncles argue over whether an estranged son should be mentioned, or cousins fight about religious symbols. The paper takes the word of the person who submits it and pays for it. Whoever signs the form and processes the payment is the decision maker. If you're the one handling this, make it clear to the family early that one person needs to have final authority, or you'll be stuck mediating while the clock ticks down. There's also the question of corrections after publication. If you catch an error the day it runs, call the newsroom immediately. They can run a correction the next day, but there's a separate fee for that, usually around $75. If you wait more than 24 hours, corrections become much harder to get. Double-check everything before you hit submit. Read it out loud. Have someone else read it too. The verification call will catch obvious errors, but it won't catch everything.
Alternative Options
If The Express Times isn't the right fit — maybe the family lives outside their circulation area, or the budget is tight — there are other routes. Legacy.com aggregates obituaries from multiple papers and charges less, though you lose the local newspaper credibility. DeathRecords.com is free and lets you post immediately, but it's not curated and has no editorial oversight. For most families in The Express Times coverage area, the newspaper remains the best option for reach and legitimacy, even if the cost feels high during an already expensive time. Some families also choose to place death notices rather than full obituaries. A death notice is shorter, typically 100 to 150 words, and costs less — usually around $75 to $100. It's mostly factual: name, dates, survivors, service information. No biographical content. If the family just needs to notify people without writing a full life story, a death notice is the practical choice. The bottom line is that getting an obituary into The Express Times isn't complicated, but it does require attention to detail and advance planning. The process itself takes about 15 to 30 minutes if your information is organized. The writing and review portion is what eats up time. Get the facts straight, keep the narrative focused, and submit well before the deadline and everything works out fine.
