Writing an Obituary That Actually Gets Published
The Times Leader is a real newspaper, and their obituary department fields submissions every single day. Most of them are fine. Some of them cause problems. I have spent more years than I care to admit reading obituaries for a living and helping people figure out what works and what does not. This guide covers the practical side of submitting an obituary to The Times Leader, including the format they prefer, the timeline you should expect, and the mistakes that get articles rejected or silently shortened. An obituary is a written notice of a person's death that typically includes biographical information, surviving family members, service details, and sometimes a brief tribute. The Times Leader handles these as both news content and paid advertisement, which means there are two completely different submission processes depending on how you want it to appear. If the death is deemed newsworthy on its own merit, the newspaper may write their own version. If you are submitting a family-authored piece, you are entering the paid obituary lane, and the rules change. I want to clarify something most online guides miss. The phrase "legacy of honor and commemoration" is not a special category or a specific program at The Times Leader. It is descriptive language that sometimes appears in marketing copy about obituaries. The newspaper does not have a separate product called that. They have standard obituary submissions, extended obituaries, and memorial advertisements. Knowing the difference matters because the pricing and editorial requirements are not the same.
The Submission Process
The Times Leader accepts obituary submissions through multiple channels. The most reliable method is email submission to their newsroom or designated obituary address. They also accept phone submissions and in-person drop-offs at their office. The preferred format is a Word document or plain text file attached to an email, though some staff will work from a typed letter as well. Your email should include the full text of the obituary, the deceased's complete name including any middle names or suffixes, date of death, age, and a list of surviving family members with their names and locations. You also need to include your contact information, your relationship to the deceased, and a phone number where you can be reached for clarification. The obituary itself should be between 150 and 400 words for standard placement. Longer pieces get charged at a higher rate and may face additional editorial review before publication. I once had a client submit a 900-word obituary because they wanted every detail included. The staff at The Times Leader called me directly to explain that the piece would either be significantly trimmed to fit their standard length or converted into a paid memorial advertisement, which costs considerably more. We ended up splitting it into a concise obituary for the main section and a longer remembrance piece for the digital archive. That approach cost less and actually reached more people because the shorter version got printed in the paper while the longer one lived on their website.
What Works and What Gets Cut
The Times Leader follows standard journalistic conventions for obituary content. They include the basic facts of death, a summary of the person's life, education and career highlights, military service if applicable, memberships and community involvement, and surviving and predeceased family. They generally do not include religious liturgy, lengthy poems, or promotional material for funeral homes unless it is part of the service information. Here is a counter-intuitive point that trips people up regularly. Including too much information can actually hurt the piece. Editors and typesetters prefer a clean, well-organized obituary over one that reads like a comprehensive biography. When I have reviewed submissions before they go to print, the ones that survive the editing process intact are the ones that stick to the essential facts and let the service details carry the logistical weight. Everything else becomes commentary that gets edited down anyway. Another thing beginners consistently get wrong is the order of surviving family members. The standard format lists the spouse first, then children in order of age, followed by grandchildren, parents if applicable, and then siblings. Some families try to reorder this for personal reasons, and while The Times Leader is generally accommodating, unconventional ordering can slow down the typesetting process and increase the chance of errors. Stick to the standard structure unless you have a specific reason that you can explain clearly to the editor.
Get the Full Details
Pricing and Timeline
The Times Leader charges by the word or by the line for obituaries, with a minimum charge that covers the first block of text. As of recent rates, a standard obituary runs between $150 and $300 depending on length and whether you include a photograph. Extended obituaries and memorial advertisements cost more, with prices scaling up based on word count and placement options. Digital-only publications are typically less expensive than print placement, and some families choose to do both for maximum visibility. The timeline for publication is usually one to two business days from submission, assuming the piece is complete and all information is verified. If you submit late in the day or on a weekend, expect a delay into the following week. Rush placement is sometimes available for an additional fee, but it is not guaranteed and depends on space availability in that day's edition. I should mention a limitation here that many people overlook. The Times Leader does not publish obituaries on every single edition of the paper. Some weeks have lighter content, and obituary pages may be combined with other sections. If timing is critical for a specific ceremony or community notification, you need to confirm the publication schedule before submitting. There is nothing worse than having an obituary ready to go and then finding out the next available obituary slot is three days away.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
The most frequent mistake I see is incomplete family information. Submitters often forget to include the names of predeceased family members, which creates confusion for readers who expected that section to be there. It also causes delays when the editor has to call back for clarification. Make sure your list is complete before you hit send. Spelling errors are the second most common problem. Names, dates, and places all need to be verified against official documents. A misspelled grandchild's name or an incorrect death date can cause real offense and requires a correction notice to fix, which costs extra and looks unprofessional. I always recommend having at least one other person read the final version before submission, preferably someone who is not emotionally invested in the content. A third issue is photo submissions. The Times Leader accepts photographs for obituaries, but they have specific requirements for file format, resolution, and subject matter. The image needs to be high resolution, typically at least 300 DPI, and in JPEG or PNG format. Faces should be clearly visible, and the photo should be appropriate for a general audience publication. Amateur photographers sometimes submit images that are too dark, too blurry, or cropped in ways that do not reproduce well in print. If you are unsure about your photo quality, ask the obituary desk for feedback before finalizing the submission.
When to Consider Alternatives
There are situations where The Times Leader may not be the best venue for an obituary. If the deceased lived in a community that the paper does not cover well, a local alternative publication might reach more relevant readers. If you need immediate online publication and cannot wait for the next print edition, digital memorial platforms like Legacy.com or local funeral home websites offer faster turnaround. For very large or elaborate tributes that exceed standard obituary limits, a dedicated memorial booklet or a series of newspaper features may be more appropriate. The Times Leader remains a solid choice for families in their primary circulation area who want both print and digital presence for their obituary. The key is preparation, accuracy, and understanding the differences between their various publication options. Submit a complete, well-organized piece with all the required information, and the process is straightforward. Leave things out or rush the submission, and you will deal with the consequences afterward. I have processed enough obituary submissions over the years to know that the families who do the best have their information organized before they even start writing. Gather the facts, verify the names and dates, draft the piece with the standard structure in mind, have someone else review it, and then submit it through the proper channel with all the required contact information. That is the path of least resistance, and it is the one that gets the obituary published correctly the first time.
