Meet Our November Guest Guru: Heather Stigall

We are very excited to feature our November Guest Guru (Heather Stigall) who has penned two fun and festive picture books. She will give a rating and feedback to four lucky Rate Your Story Members this month. Members can request Heather as a Guru from Judy, our in-box coordinator (RateYourStory@gmail.com), and if there are available spots and your manuscript seems like a good fit, you will receive this benefit.

Q: What did you love about being a child?

A: I loved having the freedom to be curious and to explore. I grew up in a time when parents didn’t expect you to come inside until it was dark, and in an area where I could climb trees and explore the woods and where we didn’t live far from the beach. I also came from a family full of creatives, so I had access to a sewing machine, power tools, art supplies, kitchen gadgets, and people who could teach me how to use them.

Q: What brought you to children’s books? 

A: I’ve been a fan of picture books all my life. I first dreamed of the possibility of becoming a children’s book author after Steven Kellogg came to visit my elementary school, but I brushed the dream aside because the child me doubted I had the “talent” to pull it off. Throughout the years I couldn’t let go of the possibility, but the adult me I chose a “practical” career path that would earn me a regular paycheck. Meanwhile, I secretly jotted down story ideas and stowed them away. It wasn’t until the youngest of my five children was in preschool and I had more time to devote to learning about the craft and industry that I decided to finally try to make my dream a reality.

Q: What do you love about children’s books?

A: I think children’s books have a way of getting to the heart of a story without being pretentious or overly intellectual. They can be deceptively simple yet convey complex ideas. Referring specifically to picture books, I love how art and text work together to tell a story.

Q: Share a little bit about your most recently-published book. How long was its path to publication? What did you learn from this experience? What is your favorite thing about this book? 

A: My newest picture book, Gilbert and the Ghost (illustrated by Jess Mason), is about a boy who often feels invisible, just like the ghost living at 632 Savannah Street. Despite his family's disbelief, Gilbert leaves gifts for the ghost: a friendship bracelet, a plate of cookies, even a drawing with a note. When each disappears one by one, Gilbert finds that believing and friendship are worth the effort. Gothic, whimsical illustrations make this picture book perfect for spooky season, but its earnest themes make it worth a read all year round. For kids who might feel unseen, Gilbert and the Ghost is a ghostly tale of overcoming obstacles and finding friendship in mysterious places. 

My agent and I received an offer of publication for this story from Beaming Books in April 2022 with a planned publication date of fall 2024. By spring 2023, things seemed to be on schedule. I had completed some minor edits and saw cover sketches. Plot twist: The publisher let my editor go and then had to redistribute some of the books in queue. That included Gilbert which they decided to push to fall 2026. The extra twist: I got that news two months after my agent informed me she was stepping away from agenting. It was a rough spring!  I was disappointed, but I tried to be patient and focus on promoting my debut picture book and began querying agents again. Within the next year I had found new representation, and Beaming Books decided to publish Gilbert in fall 2025. The whole process reinforced everything I had learned about the kidlit publishing world – be patient, persevere, and focus on what you can control. 

My favorite thing about Gilbert and the Ghost is the theme of believing. No matter what your dream is, whether it’s to become a published author or to make a friend, believe! I hope those who read Gilbert and the Ghost are inspired to believe in their dreams.

Q: Share a little bit about another book you wrote and how you drew upon your interests or experience to research / write it. 

A: My debut picture book, Paisley’s Big Birthday, (illustrated by Natallia Bushuyeva and published by Clavis Books in 2023), is a sweet story about having patience as we grow. It’s about a bunny named Paisley who hops out of bed the morning of her birthday expecting to be all things “big bunny,” but when she still has trouble reading, still can’t complete the hopstacle course, and is still in bunnygarten, she begins to wonder if it’s her birthday after all. 

This story was inspired by my youngest child who, on his 5^th birthday, denied it was his birthday because he didn’t feel older. Like Paisley, he was disappointed he couldn’t do the things he expected to “magically” be able to do overnight. The conversation I had with my child that day was fascinating! I wrote down everything he said and eventually dreamed up a picture book-worthy story, complete with bunny puns, alliteration, and a cute little brother named Pip who would help Paisley understand how she was “big” in many ways, even if she couldn’t do all the “big bunny” things she hoped to be able to do on her birthday.

Q: What do you love about the genre of books you write in (please be specific)?

A: I adore picture books! Through illustrations and very few words a child learns about story, the mechanics of a book, and the act of reading; they see themselves and a world outside of their own, and they learn something about themselves and others in the process; they are exposed to beautiful art and language; and they form memories and a connection to the person reading them the story. 

Q: What does a story need to make it a favorite for you?

A: I need to feel something. Whether my reaction is an “aw” or a “ha ha!” or a “wow!” I want to feel an emotional connection to the story.

Q: Share a story that you love and why. 

A: Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry and Juana Martinez-Neal has heart, humor, fun language, endearing characters, gorgeous art, and the beach!

Q: What is a common issue you see in the manuscripts you critique?

A: Trying to do too much in a picture book manuscript. Boil down what you want to say in a few sentences. Then look at your manuscript and take out any scenes or lines that stray away from your story’s intended focus.

Q: Please share a Submission Tip with our Members. 

A: Don’t give them a reason so say no. Write the strongest story you can. Revise and revise again. Get feedback from critique partners (and beyond, if possible). Revise again. Format according to industry standard. Research agents/editors to be sure they are open to submissions and open to what you want to send them. Write (and revise) a great pitch and query letter. Follow submission instructions exactly. They may still pass on your submission, but do everything in your control to make it the best submission you can. BUT, if you make a mistake, don’t stress. Agents and editors are human and understand you are human too!

Q: Please share a Revision Tip for our Members. 

A: Paginate your manuscript. Unless asked, you won’t submit it this way, but it’s helpful to break your story into 14 or 15 spreads to check for things like page turns, pacing, and if there is something different to illustrate on each spread.

Q: Name subjects you would like to read about. 

A: My sweet spot is picture book fiction. Surprise me!

Q: Name subjects you would not like to read about.

A: My weak spot is stories in verse. I enjoy reading them, but I’m not confident in my ability to give feedback on them. 

Q: Share something you wish we had asked you about, but didn’t! 

A: What helps you to bear all the rejections? I can’t take credit for this idea, but I have a jar I call my “Not Yet Jar.” Every time I get a “no,” I put a dollar in the jar. It takes a little sting out of the passes to see money collecting in a jar rather than an email box full of rejection letters. When I get a “yes,” I spend the money on something for myself.

Q:  Share a fun fact about YOU! 

A: Every year around Christmas my family bakes over 2,000 cookies that we gift to others.

Bio:Heather Stigall uses her experience with children and her degrees in Child Development, Psychology-based Human Relations, and Social Work to create stories that speak to kids. She is an active volunteer for the Eastern PA Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, a member of the 12x12 Picture Book Challenge, and a wife and parent to five children and one pup. When she’s not writing, you can find Heather hanging out with her kids (hopefully at the beach), reading, eating chocolate, baking, or creating all sorts of treasures. She is the author of GILBERT AND THE GHOST (Beaming Books, 2025) which Kirkus Reviews praised as “a surefire hit for readers looking for seasonal fun.” Her debut picture book, PAISLEY’S BIG BIRTHDAY (Clavis Publishing, 2023), was a 2023 Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award nominee and is available in six languages. You can connect with Heather through her website, HeatherPierceStigall.com

Website: www.HeatherPierceStigall.com

Newsletter: Sign-Up Form

Instagram: @heather_stigall7

Facebook: Heather Pierce Stigall - Author

Blue Sky: @heatherstigall7.bsky.social