Townhouse FAQs
Townhouse FAQs
If you’re new to Townhouse or just in need of a how-to refresher then we’re here to help!
Below we’ve added some frequently asked questions; from how to update your profile, to how to join a group or publish your first Featured Post, we’ve covered all your queries here. If there’s anything missing or if you have any further questions, get in touch with our lovely Writers Support team who will be happy to help.
If you’re a Premium Member, and you have specific questions about the perks of your membership then head on over here for what’s new for you, including how to access premium member only groups and how to speak to Polly, your designated premium member support.
For guidelines on how to use Townhouse to ensure it remains a safe and supportive space for all writers, either scroll down or click here. You can find information on our Terms of Service, here.
Frequently asked
questions
How do I change my dashboard photo and display name?
To update your photo, go to ‘My Account’ in your top right hand corner, then change your photo by clicking on the camera icon. Choose the photo you wish to display, then ‘update avatar’.
To change your display name, go to ‘My Account’ and edit this under ‘Your details’. Make sure to click ‘save all changes’ at the bottom of the page.
How do I access Townhouse?
Townhouse is now fully integrated with the main Jericho Writers dashboard. As such, you can now login through our main site here. You can also click ‘Sign in’ in the top right corner of the Jericho Writers homepage.
Townhouse features such as groups, forums and discussions are now accessible via your dashboard as soon as you login. You can also access them via the ‘Townhouse’ dropdown menu in the top navigation menu.
I had a Townhouse account and a Jericho Writers account. Which password should I use to login?
Use the password you created for your Jericho Writers account. All your Townhouse data now sits under this one account. This is the account you created to purchase one of our products or services, including: a membership; a free trial; a writing course; an editorial assessment; a one-to-one session or an event ticket.
I only had a Townhouse account, can I still login?
Yes. You are now what we call a Free Member. Simply use your existing Townhouse email and password to login. Sign-in via our main website here. You can also click ‘Sign in’ in the top right corner of the Jericho Writers homepage.
What’s happened to my existing Townhouse content and friends?
Everything apart from your private messages and previous connections have now been carried over to the main Jericho Writers website. This means you should still have access to your existing groups and any posts made on the old Townhouse. Everything can now be accessed through one main dashboard and a top dropdown menu.
Has my membership changed?
Yes – it’s got even better! If you are paying for a membership (either annually or monthly) you are now what we call a Premium Member. Townhouse is now easily accessed through your membership dashboard so everything is in one place – and as a Premium Member, you’ll get access to exclusive groups and live services through Townhouse.
If you are not currently paying for a membership but previously had a Townhouse account, then you are a Free Member. You will still have access to Townhouse, but you will not have access to Premium-only content and discussions. You can upgrade to Premium either via your dashboard or here when logged in.
What is the difference between Free and Premium Membership?
Premium Membership gives you access to exclusive content such as online events with industry professionals, informative video-courses, our agent database, query letter reviews and one-to-one support from our Agent Relations Manager, Polly. Every month, she will provide Premium-only discussions and live services on Townhouse. You can upgrade to Premium either via your dashboard or here when logged in
Free Membership will give you access to Townhouse, our blog articles, support from the Writers Support team and the latest writing news via bi-weekly newsletters from the Jericho Writers’ Team. Free Members, however, do not have access to Premium-only content and discussions.
How do I edit my Townhouse profile?
Hover over the bell in the top right corner and select ’My Profile Settings’ from the dropdown menu. You can also click ’update profile’ on your member dashboard.
I’m getting too many email notifications. How do I stop this?
Hover over the bell in the top right corner and select ’My Profile Settings’ from the dropdown menu. From here you can change your email preferences.
How do I get to the main dashboard?
You should be taken to your dashboard as soon as you login. You can also access your dashboard by going to ‘My Jericho’ and selecting ‘Dashboard’.
How do I post to the newsfeed/timeline?
You can post to the newsfeed (also known as timeline) via your dashboard. Simply begin typing in the box provided, where it says ‘Post to your Townhouse Timeline’, and click ‘post update’ to share what’s on your mind. If you similarly click View Profile > Timeline > you can post there too.
How do I post a long-form post?
If you’ve written a long-form piece, such as a poem or blog, that you’d like to share with the whole community, you can do so via your profile. Go to View Profile > Posts> New post. This will allow you to write longer form posts (or Featured Posts) and format your post as you wish.
How do I post to a forum?
Go to Forums, either via the dropdown ‘Townhouse’ menu at the top, or through your member dashboard in the bottom left. Click on a discussion that interests you and hit either the ‘reply’ button or the icon next to their comments.
How do I send a private message?
Hover over the little bell in the top right corner of your dashboard and select ‘Messages’ from the dropdown menu. Click this icon to write a new message and type in the name of the friend or member you’d like to send it to. When you receive a message, you will be notified
How do I add someone as a friend?
From the ‘Townhouse menu’ select ‘Members’. Find the person you would like to add as a friend and click ‘Connect’. Once they have approved the request, they will appear in your friend list. You can also click ‘connect’ via a person’s profile.
How do I tag someone in my post?
Not unlike other social platforms, you can tag a friend or another member by putting an @ before their name e.g., @theirname
It says my post is awaiting approval, what does that mean?
Your post is waiting to be approved by a member of the Jericho Writers’ team. Most long-form posts go through this process and it will take around 24 hours. Don’t worry, we will not change anything about your post, unless we consider anything you’ve written to be offensive to others.
How do I join a group?
Go to Groups, either through the Townhouse menu at the top, or through your member dashboard. Click ‘Join Group’ next to the one you want to join. Some groups may be private, so, you will need to wait for your request to be accepted before you can see group posts and discussions.
Why can’t I access some of the groups?
Some groups may be marked as ‘private’, this means they’ve been set up (either by the Jericho team or by a member) for a specific reason. You can request access to the group by hitting ‘join’.
For the group titled Premium Members, this is a group for Premium Members only. If you are a Premium Member and click join, you should be automatically accepted into the group.
What do the icons next to people’s profiles mean?
A crown means that they are a Premium Member. A shield means this member is an administrator and part of the Jericho Writers’ team.
Who can I speak to if I need help?
If you are a Premium Member, our Agent Relations Manager, Polly, will be on hand for any and all questions you might have. For Free Members, the Writers’ Support team will also be available on Townhouse every other day and via info@jerichowriters.com
Townhouse Guidelines
Below are some guidelines on how to keep this a safe and supportive place, and how to critique each other’s work productively. We do ask that ALL users follow these, please.
How to keep this a safe space
Townhouse is a place to share your writing, meet friends, vent frustrations and celebrate achievements. It is a safe space open to ALL writers, no matter where you are from, how many words you have written before, or what genre you are choosing to write in. Therefore, we ask that everyone on Townhouse follows these rules:
- Be kind. Writing means a lot to us. Treat others how you would like to be treated. This includes Jericho Writers staff, editors and volunteers.
- Be supportive. All writers face rejection. This space supports writers through that until they get that ‘yes’.
- Be constructive. If a writer asks for feedback on their work, then follow the rules below.
Content of an overtly gratuitous nature (be that violent, sexual or including depictions of abuse or otherwise) will be removed if the team deem it necessary.
How to give effective editorial feedback
- Always start with a positive. Doesn’t matter how many books you may have had published, receiving feedback is always a bit scary. So start with something nice, and end that way too, if you can.
- Be honest. Publishing is bedevilled by bland, nice and evasive feedback. That’s useless. If you think a certain chapter isn’t working, the author needs you to say so.
- Be respectful. It should always be possible to give negative feedback in a respectful way. Please do as you would be done by. If you do inadvertently cause offence, be quick to say sorry!
- Respond to specific requests. If someone is asking you for help with their characterization, then the more you can say about that, the better.
- Be specific. The more you illustrate your comments with examples drawn from the text, the more useful it’ll be. It’ll also help you to understand how writing works in a way that will help you in your own work, too.
How to seek a critique
- Don’t post too much text. About 3,000 words is the outer limit for comfortable on-screen reading. You’ll get better, more detailed feedback if you can stick within that limit. If you get into a detailed discussion with other members and they’re keen to exchange larger amounts of text, then go for it – but 3,000 words is a good maximum starting point.
- Be clear about context. If your manuscript is aimed at a literary audience, it’ll need to be written differently to a children’s novel. Explain in 3-4 sentences what your project is, and what the story is about.
- Be clear about what you want. Is it your style that concerns you? Is it the way your character emerges? Are you worried about establishing a clear sense of place? Is your pacing OK? Naturally, you’ll want to know about everything – but if you do have particular concerns, then letting your readers know will help guide them towards more effective feedback.
- Be prepared for honesty. Critiques are useless if they’re not honest, so do be prepared for some negative feedback (which should, of course, be politely expressed – see above). If you just want reassurance and support, then say so! All writers need a cuddle from time to time, but do say this, if this is what you’re after.
- Give back. It takes time and commitment to write an effective critique. As a rough guide, we suggest that you should give feedback at least 3-5 times for every time you post work looking for feedback. If you’re more generous than that, then you’re a very lovely person. Thank you.
- If you wish to share erotica, please visit the Erotic Literature Writers group and ensure you follow the guidelines before posting.
Feedback on Jericho Writers services
- If you have feedback on a specific product or service you have purchased from Jericho Writers, please contact Writers Support and they will aim to resolve this for you. Townhouse is not the best or most efficient place to share this.
Promotion and advertising
- While we encourage you to share tips and ideas with fellow writers, repeated or excessive promotion of third party products and services will be removed.
Terms of Service
These terms govern use of the Jericho Writers Community. Use of the site implies consent to these terms. If you do not agree, you should discontinue your use of the site.
The use of these webpages and services of Jericho Writers (referred to as “we” / “our” / “us”) is subject to the terms and conditions set out below.
As a user of this website and/or our services (referred to as “you” / “your”), your use will be deemed to constitute your acceptance of these terms and conditions.
About
The Jericho Writers Community (known as ‘Townhouse’) has been created and is operated by Jericho Writers. Our address is: Box 321, 266 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7DL, United Kingdom. Jericho Writers offers editing, courses, events and membership to writers from around the world. You can read more about us here.
It is free to use this community and you do not need to be a paying member of Jericho Writers to do so. To find out more about membership of Jericho Writers, see our membership page.
About these terms
These Terms of Use contain the entire understanding between you and us in relation to your use of our website and its content. We reserve the right at our sole discretion to modify, alter or otherwise update these terms and conditions and/or our web pages at any time without notifying you and you agree to be bound by any such modifications, alterations or updates. You should check this website from time to time to review the then current version of these Terms of Use.
Your use of this website is conditional upon you obeying these terms of use. Failure to do so may lead to your account being terminated without notice.
Copyright
Your content: If you have created a piece of content, you may copy, retrieve, or delete it at any point. While it is on this site, you agree that we will display it according to the ordinary rules of this site.
Other people’s content: If other people have created and uploaded content, please ask them before making copies. The copyright is theirs, not yours.
Our content: You are welcome to make use of any material we have generated so long as that is for your own personal and non-commercial use. (Support of your general writing career doesn’t count as “commercial” for these purposes.)
In all cases where you have not created the content, please be aware that the material on this site is protected by copyright law in the United Kingdom and by applicable law and international treaties in most other jurisdictions too.
You are granted free use of the Community in exchange for a validated email address and the agreement of the full terms of use of this platform. You may no longer use the forum if we contact you directly to say that you may not. We do not have to give a reason for any such refusal of service.
Your behaviour
You may not break the law using this Community. This covers trying to use another’s account without their specific permission; and buying, selling, or otherwise trading in user names or other unique identifiers.
You may not send advertisements, chain letters, or other solicitations through the Community, or use the forum to gather addresses or other personal data for commercial mailing lists or databases. You may not use the Community to send e-mail to distribution lists, newsgroups, or group mail aliases.
You may not falsely imply that you’re affiliated with or endorsed by the company, or rremove any marks showing proprietary ownership from materials you download from the Community.
You may not disable, avoid, or circumvent any security or access restrictions of the Community.
You may not strain infrastructure of the Community with an unreasonable volume of requests, or requests designed to impose an unreasonable load on information systems underlying the Community.
You may not impersonate others.
You may not encourage or help anyone in violation of these terms.
Publishing of content
You may not submit content to the forum that is illegal, offensive, or otherwise harmful to others. This includes content that is harassing, inappropriate, or abusive.
You may not submit content to the forum that violates the law, infringes anyone’s intellectual property rights, violates anyone’s privacy, or breaches agreements you have with others.
You may not submit content to the forum containing malicious computer code, such as computer viruses or spyware.
You may not submit content to the forum as a mere placeholder, to hold a particular address, user name, or other unique identifier.
You may not use the forum to disclose information that you don’t have the right to disclose, like others’ confidential or personal information.
Jericho Writers is not responsible for any content of this kind on the Community, but may investigate violations of these terms and assist in any criminal or civil investigation or prosecution.
We reserve the right to change, redact, and delete content on the forum for any reason.
Our responsibility
The Community is a free platform offered by Jericho Writers. We are not able to offer users any support with the use of this Community platform, including technical assistance.
Jericho Writers asks that its users abide by the terms of use for this Community and are not responsible for misuse.
Users who require assistance for writing-related issues can contact Jericho Writers via our main website.
Your use of the community
You must create and log into an account to use some features of the forum.
To create an account, you must provide some information about yourself. If you create an account, you agree to provide, a valid e-mail address, and to keep that address up-to-date, as well as a username and password. You may close your account at any time via your profile.
You agree to be responsible for all action taken using your account, whether authorized by you or not.
The company may restrict, suspend, or close your account according to its policy for handling copyright-related takedown requests, or if Jericho Writers reasonably believes that you’ve broken any rule in these terms.
Our use of your contact details
We will never sell or share your personal details with any third party without your express permission.
The contact details with which you join the community will be used to send you Jericho Writers newsletters and other communication. You can opt out of receiving these at any time.
Your content
Nothing in these terms gives us any ownership rights in intellectual property that you share with the Community, such as your account information, posts, or other content you submit to the Community. Nothing in these terms gives you any ownership rights in our intellectual property, either.
You remain solely responsible for content you submit to the Community. This belongs to you, and you decide what permission to give others for it. But at a minimum, you license the company to provide content that you submit to the forum to other users of the Community. That special license allows us to copy, publish, and analyse content you submit to the Community.
Others who receive content you submit to the forum may violate the terms on which you license your content. You agree that Jericho Writers will not be liable to you for those violations or their consequences.
Disclaimers
You accept all risk of using the Community and content on the Community. As far as the law allows, Jericho Writers and its suppliers provide the Community as is, without any warranty whatsoever.
Limits of liability
Neither Jericho Writers nor its suppliers will be liable to you for breach-of-contract damages their personnel could not have reasonably foreseen when you agreed to these terms.
As far as the law allows, the total liability to you for claims of any kind that are related to the forum or content on the forum will be limited to £50.
Law & jurisdiction
These Website Terms of Use shall be governed by and construed in accordance with United Kingdom law and you agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the United Kingdom courts. You are responsible for compliance with any applicable laws of the country from which you access our website.
