The Editor’s Pass Is Here

Today’s the day.

I’ve been teasing The Editor’s Pass for weeks. Mentioning it at the end of other posts. Tucking coupon codes into deep dives. Promising you a complete system for self-editing your novel.

Today, I deliver.

I hope you’ll give me a few minutes of your time this morning to tell you about this workbook, who it’s for, what it does, and how to get it.

The Problem This Solves

Not every writer can afford a professional editor. Developmental editing runs thousands of dollars. Copy editing isn’t cheap either. And even if you can afford it, maybe you don’t want to hand your manuscript to someone else just yet.

• Maybe you want to polish as best you can before querying an agent.

• Maybe you’re self-publishing and want to get your manuscript as clean as possible before hitting “upload.”

• Maybe you want to revise it yourself before hiring that pro editor, so they can work on the best possible version of your manuscript.

• Maybe you just want to understand what professional editors actually do—so you can do it yourself.

  
  

That’s why I built The Editor’s Pass.

What It Is

The Editor’s Pass is a complete family of workbooks that guide writers through the revision or self-editing process. It’s the macro-to-micro methodology that professional editors use every day, written for writers.

No gatekeeping. No secrets. Just the tools.

Here’s the full ecosystem.

1. The Flagship Workbook: The Editor’s Pass

$44.99 | Get it here →

This is the big one. 174 pages. 58 worksheets. It covers the entire editing process from macro (structure) to micro (word).

Inside, you’ll find:

• Structural editing (plot, pacing, narrative tension)

• Scene-level editing (entry/exit points, stakes, scene purpose)

• Character editing (arc, motivation, voice, consistency)

• Point of view (locking in, head-hopping elimination)

• Line editing (sentence-level craft, rhythm, clarity)

• Copy editing (grammar, punctuation, style consistency)

This is the full process. Written for writers to revise and self-edit their own work. You can print it once, twice, as many times as you need. Every manuscript, every revision.

2. Individual Chapters

$9.99 each | Get them here →

Not ready to commit to the full 174-page workbook? No problem.

All 10 chapters of The Editor’s Pass are for sale separately. This is a lower price point for readers who:

• Are having difficulty with a specific part of the editing process (e.g., you know your POV is a mess but your plot is fine).

• Want to test out the workbook before committing to the full thing.

Each chapter comes with a coupon for $9.99 off the retail price of the full workbook or Complete System Bundle when you upgrade on my website. Buy a chapter and decide to upgrade? You don't pay for that chapter twice.

3. Individual Worksheets

$2.99 each | Get them here →

If you have a very specific bugaboo, or you want the smallest taster to see if you like the workbook’s vibe, you can grab an individual lesson.

Each PDF printable contains 1 lesson + its associated worksheet. Pick exactly what you need and nothing else.

Each worksheet comes with a coupon for $2.99 off the full workbook or Complete System Bundle if you decide to upgrade later. Buy a worksheet and decide to upgrade? You don't pay for that worksheet twice.

Don’t see the worksheet you need? Check back—I’m releasing them a few at a time.

4. Deep-Dive Mini-Workbooks

$7.99 each | Get them here →

Okay, “mini” might be a misnomer.

These are 30–50-page deep dives into specific topics. Each contains lessons, worksheets, email templates, case studies, and checklists to guide you through revising’s stickiest, trickiest wickets.

The Tension Architect

34 pages | 4 worksheets | 3 case studies (The Hunger Games, Gone Girl, The Shining)

A workbook on how to create a graph of narrative tension, diagnose what the graph is showing you (the Flatline, the Sawtooth, the False Summit), and adjust accordingly for perfect narrative tension throughout your book.

Get it here →

The Beta Blueprint

44 pages | 5 worksheets | Email templates | The Beta Reader Contract | The Beta Reader Questionnaire

This workbook walks you through running your beta read like a pro to get actionable feedback, prevent reader ghosting, and triage the feedback you get so you can actually use it.

Get it here →

The Character Voice Lab

43 pages | 6 worksheets | 3 case studies (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, The Echo Wife, This Is How You Lose the Time War)

Teaches you how to cook up unique character voices that leap off the page. Distill voices alchemically from character backstory and circumstance, differentiate voices like a boss, and avoid narrator voice contamination.

Get it here →

The POV Lock

35 pages | 6 worksheets | 3 case studies (Six of Crows, Dolores Claiborne, The Hobbit)

A workbook on how to choose the right POV for your story and lock in to prevent head-hopping. Teaches strategies to impart information to the reader when your narrator doesn’t have it.

Get it here →

5. The Complete System Bundle

$64.99 | Get it here →

This is the best value. You get:

• The Editor’s Pass flagship workbook ($44.99 value)

• All 4 deep-dive mini-workbooks from my shop ($7.99 each, a $31.96 value)

• PLUS 1 bundle-exclusive mini-workbook not sold separately

Total value if bought separately: $84.94 | Bundle price: $64.99 | You save: $19.95

Bundle-Exclusive: The Reader’s Emotional GPS

35 pages | 6 worksheets | 3 case studies (Pride and Prejudice, Misery, Room)

Teaches the reader’s emotional compass points and how to use them to guide the reader through your novel. Get your reader emotionally invested to keep them turning pages from “once upon a time” to “the end.” Available only in the Complete System Bundle.

But Don’t Take My Word For It

Here’s what professionals are saying about The Editor’s Pass:

“In The Editor’s Pass, Catherine Forrest demystifies the most intimidating stage of writing: revision. Drawing on more than twenty years of professional editorial experience, Forrest walks writers through a clear, macro-to-micro self-editing process—starting with structure and ending with the final polish. Packed with smart explanations, diagnostic questions, and hands-on worksheets, this workbook teaches writers not only what to fix but also how to think like an editor while preserving their unique voice. It's an indispensable tool for any fiction writer. I wish I had this when I was working on my first manuscript!”

—Tricia Knight, Managing Editor, Bloomsbury Academic

“I highly recommend The Editor’s Pass to anyone with even a passing interest in storytelling, either as part of their job or as a hobby. The knowledge Catherine imparts is steeped in experience. It’s direct yet conversational, easy to follow, thoroughly explained, and sparks the vital, often difficult self-reflection a writer needs to improve. The lessons give readers every tool they need to start writing the story they’ve always wanted to tell or to edit a finished draft into being the best it can be. The Editor’s Pass should be a well-used guide on all writers’ desks.”

—Joshua Sorensen, Senior Staff Writer

“The Editor’s Pass covers the entire process of manuscript editing, from developmental to copy editing, in an organized and accessible format. This workbook can help anyone polish their draft manuscript for professional publication.”

—Amber Bennett-Groves, Editor

“Welcome to rigor! With The Editor’s Pass, Catherine Forrest has provided fiction authors with tools and methods that enable them to step back, critically evaluate, and effectively edit their own work. The guide is an immensely valuable resource.”

—Wayson R. Jones, BA, The Human Copy Editor

Which Path Is Right for You?

• Start with a $2.99 worksheet if you have one specific problem and want to test the waters.

• Buy a $9.99 chapter if you’re struggling with a specific area (like POV or dialogue) and want deeper coverage.

• Grab a $7.99 deep-dive if you need intensive work on tension, beta readers, character voice, or point of view.

• Get the $44.99 flagship workbook if you want the complete macro-to-micro editing process.

• Or get the $64.99 Complete System Bundle if you want the best value—the flagship workbooks, plus all four deep-dive workbooks sold separately, plus one bundle-exclusive workbook

  
  

Not Ready to Buy?

Fair. There’s no rush. In the meantime, grab my free 2-page PDF, The 7 Structural Red Flags That Kill a Manuscript Before Page 50. Diagnose fatal story problems in 3 minutes—no workbook required. Free when you sign up for updates from editorsdesk.co: Get it here.

One More Thing

I built this system because I’ve been an editor for more than 20 years. I’ve watched smart, talented writers spin their wheels on problems they could solve if someone just showed them how.

The Editor’s Pass is that “how.”

It’s not vague advice like “raise the stakes” or “show, don’t tell.” It’s worksheets and rubrics and case studies and checklists. It’s concrete. It’s repeatable. You can use it on every manuscript, every revision.

You can print it as many times as you need. Mark it up. Write in the margins. Spill coffee on it (though maybe not on purpose).

You never have to buy it again.

The Only Question That Matters

I’m not asking you to buy anything. I’m asking you one question:

If you had a professional editor’s methodology in a workbook—step by step, worksheet by worksheet—would that make your manuscript better?

If the answer is yes, you know where to find me.

If the answer is no, that’s okay too. But watch this space. Because I’m always building tools for the problems you actually have.

As always, I’m glad you’re here. Thank you for reading.

Now go write something amazing.

—Catherine