Writing Obits for the Statesman: What Actually Works
The Austin American-Statesman runs obituaries every single day, and they get a lot of submissions. If you are trying to get one published that actually captures someone properly, you need to know how the desk operates. This is not just about filling out a form. It is about understanding what editors are looking for when they process dozens of pieces a day. I have placed well over two hundred obituaries through various publications over the years, and the Statesman is one of the more straightforward ones if you know the process. Their online submission portal is accessible through the Austin American-Statesman website. You will find it under the Life Stories section or by searching for obituary submissions directly. The standard fee structure has changed over the years. A basic text-only obituary typically runs around $100 to $150 depending on length. Including photographs bumps that up. Full layout with multiple images and a sidebar can run several hundred dollars. Always confirm current pricing before you submit because these numbers shift occasionally.
Here is something most people do not realize about the Statesman's obituary desk. They accept both short death announcements and longer featured life stories. The difference matters. A death announcement is basically a factual notice with basic biographical details. A life story is what most people actually want, and it allows for more narrative content about community involvement, career highlights, and personal character. When I was dealing with the Statesman desk about three years ago, I hit a specific problem with a submission for a longtime civic leader. The family wanted to highlight decades of volunteer work with multiple organizations, but the editor flagged the draft as too promotional. It read like a resume instead of an obituary. My workaround was to restructure the piece entirely. Instead of listing accomplishments chronologically, I wove them into a narrative format that showed what the person actually did through specific anecdotes. One paragraph about organizing the annual neighborhood cleanup for twenty years carried more weight than five bullet points. The editor accepted the revised version within twenty-four hours. The key difference was making it feel human rather than institutional. Another counter-intuitive thing about writing obituaries for local leaders and community figures is that less detail about their professional credentials often makes for a stronger piece. Beginners tend to include every job title, every award, and every organizational membership. The better obituaries I have seen focus on three or four defining moments or characteristics and let those carry the weight. Readers already know whether the deceased was a mayor or a teacher. The obituary should tell them what kind of mayor or what kind of teacher.
Practical Steps for Submission
Go to the Austin American-Statesman website and navigate to their obituary or life stories section. Look for a link that says submit an obituary or write a life story. You will create an account or log in if you already have one. Fill out the required biographical fields including full name, age, city of residence, date of death, and surviving family members. Then write the actual piece. Aim for 300 to 600 words for a standard featured obituary. If the person has an exceptionally long community record, you can push closer to 800 words, but anything beyond that usually gets trimmed by the editor anyway. Include a high-resolution photograph if possible. The Statesman prefers images at least 1200 pixels wide. Blurry phone photos get rejected or replaced without notification. Submit the draft and expect a response within one to three business days. During holiday weekends or around major local events, turnaround can slow down. I learned this the hard way when I submitted an obituary on a Thursday before a long weekend and did not hear back until the following Wednesday. If you are working with a tight timeline, avoid submitting right before any holiday period.
Get the Full Details
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The biggest mistake I see is including incomplete survivor information. The Statesman desk will reach out to clarify, which delays publication. Make sure you list parents, spouses, children, grandchildren, and any notable siblings. If someone predeceased the individual, mention that briefly. It is standard practice and families usually expect it. Another frequent issue is getting the date of death wrong. I once reviewed a draft where the family listed the wrong year because they confused the date of the funeral service with the actual date of passing. The corrections process added two extra days to publication. Always double check against the death certificate or funeral home records before submitting. There is also a common misconception that you can submit the same obituary to multiple outlets simultaneously without coordination. The Statesman does not publish pieces that appear elsewhere on the same day. If you are also placing an obituary in a smaller hometown paper, stagger the publication dates. Use the Statesman for the broader community notice and the local paper for the more intimate version.
When the Statesman Is Not the Right Choice
Not every situation calls for a Statesman obituary. If the deceased had minimal connection to the Austin metro area, a smaller regional publication might reach the right audience more effectively. The Statesman's readership skews central Texas. A person who spent their entire life in a small town two hours outside the city might be better served by a paper that actually circulates there. Additionally, if budget is a constraint, consider that some churches, civic organizations, and professional associations offer free or low-cost memorial notices to their members. These can complement a paid obituary rather than replace it. I have seen families place a brief notice in a professional journal alongside a fuller piece in the Statesman, and the combined effect reached more relevant readers than either alone. The submission process itself has become more streamlined over the past few years. Online forms have largely replaced the old email and fax systems. But the editorial standards remain the same. Editors want accurate information, a respectful tone, and content that reflects the actual person rather than an idealized version. Stick to facts, include genuine details, and the rest follows.
