services & pricing

obituaries

The fee for a standard obituary is $400.

Here’s how it works:

  • When you order an obituary, you will be emailed a questionnaire right away that will help me with the factual particulars of your loved one’s life — dates, places, etc. It will also prompt you to start thinking about some of your favorite stories about this person: a telling anecdotes or a moment that revealed the essence of who they were. You don’t have to write these stories down, but I send the prompts in advance to get you thinking.
  • You email the questionnaire back to me.
  • I follow up with interviews, to hear the stories and memories of your loved one and to clarify any details from the questionnaire. A standard obituary includes two phone, Zoom, FaceTime, or in-person interviews with loved ones. You can have more than one person in an interview if you like.
  • You will then receive a completed obituary at your preferred length. I am flexible in working to your timeline, but I generally request at least 48 hours from the time you return the questionnaire, assuming we can schedule the interviews in a timely fashion. If you want to take it more slowly, that’s fine, too.

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    special situations

    If you’d like more interviews or need the obituary on a shorter deadline, the price may be higher. Please contact me if you would like something different—or if you have questions or are just curious if I am the right fit for you.

    newspapers

    Remember that if you choose to publish the obituary in a newspaper, you will usually need to pay an additional fee to the paper, which is often based on word count. So you may want to inquire with the newspaper about that cost before you send me your desired word count.

    online platforms for publishing obits

    In addition to newspapers, or if you choose not to publish in a print newspaper, you can publish an obituary online, often with the ability to include many additional photos and other features, such as commenting. The platform I recommend is Elegy. It’s affordable and has no ads and clutter.

    living obituaries

    For some people, writing their own obituary is an exercise in reflection. It can be helpful and even fun to process what is important to you. For others, it’s a way to become more comfortable with the inevitability of death. And for still others it’s a way to make sure your obituary accurately represents how you want to be remembered.

    I have a structured program to work with you one-on-one to create an honest and meaningful story of your own life. The fee for this coaching service is $150.

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    eulogies & speeches

    In addition to writing obituaries, I am available to help with eulogies and other speeches, including toasts, presentations, and talks. Read a eulogy I wrote here.

    For this work, I charge $45 an hour. Please contact me if you are interested.