Dea Parkin

Dea Parkin, former Secretary/General Coordinator of the CWA, has been an Associate Member since 2012 and owns and manages editorial consultancy Fiction Feedback.

Fiction Feedback was established in 2008 and provides top quality developmental and copy-editing. We also provide constructive critiques on novels and short stories, and specialised ‘critiques plus’ focusing on specific author concerns such as plot.

Fiction Feedback has helped authors across diverse genres, especially crime and historical, to publish their books. We’ve helped secure literary agents or publishing deals for the very best writers, and we also work with traditionally published authors on their next books.

We provide submission specials, looking at the synopsis, cover letter and opening of a novel, and a synopsis-writing service. Our online home study course, Crafting Crime with Diamond Dagger-winner Martin Edwards, now provides a mentored option where assignments at every module are subject to a professional assessment.

Fiction Feedback is the sponsor of the CWA’s Emerging Author Dagger competition for unpublished crime writers, a competition Dea has facilitated as Competitions Coordinator for many years. Dea is herself a writer and playwright, with several one-act plays performed in amateur theatre. She has published a book of accessible poetry: Any Other Business and her short stories appear in recent CWA anthologies. From 2026, Dea is a judge of the Historical Dagger.