Last updated: July 14, 2026
These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of Lectern (the "Software") and the website at lectern.necropolispublishing.com (the "Site"), both provided by Necropolis Publishing, LLC ("we," "us," or "our"), a limited liability company organized in the State of Georgia, United States. By downloading, installing, purchasing, or using the Software, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Software.
Lectern is a desktop application for long-form writing. It is offered in a free tier, a paid "Pro" tier, and an optional "Supporter" tier for organizations. Lectern stores your work as plain text and markdown files on your own device; we do not host your manuscripts.
Your license is personal to you and may not be sold, shared, sublicensed, or transferred. License keys are issued to the purchasing email address.
The Software is also licensed under the Lectern License Agreement included with the Software. If these Terms and that Agreement conflict, that Agreement controls with respect to the Software.
You agree not to:
Lectern's optional AI assistance works only when you supply your own credentials for a third-party provider (for example, OpenRouter). You are solely responsible for your account with that provider, for any fees it charges, and for complying with its terms. We do not host, generate, or store the content produced through that service, and we are not responsible for its availability, output, or charges.
Lectern's optional Voice features work the same way. Dictate and Orate run only when you supply your own Deepgram credentials. While you use them, your microphone audio (for Dictate) and the text being read aloud (for Orate) travel directly from your device to Deepgram under Deepgram's terms and privacy policy. You are responsible for your Deepgram account and any fees it charges; we never receive that audio, that text, or your key.
Suggestions produced through the AI feature are generated by the third-party provider and model you selected. You are responsible for reviewing any AI-generated text before relying on or publishing it, and for how you use it. We make no warranty as to the accuracy, quality, originality, or fitness of AI-generated output.
As between you and us, you own your manuscripts and everything you write in Lectern. We claim no rights in your content, and because your files live on your own device, we could not access them if we wanted to.
You are responsible for maintaining backup copies of your work. Lectern's snapshot and archive features are conveniences, not a guarantee against data loss; hardware fails, disks fill, and no software is error-free. Please keep independent backups of anything you cannot afford to lose.
Purchases of Lectern Pro are processed by a third-party payment processor (currently Stripe); we may change processors from time to time. The processor collects your payment details under its own terms and privacy policy. Pricing and currency are shown at checkout. Refunds are governed by our Refund Policy.
The Software and Site are provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including but not limited to merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Software will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, Necropolis Publishing, LLC will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of data, profits, or manuscripts, arising out of or related to your use of the Software or Site. Our total liability for any claim will not exceed the amount you paid us for the Software.
We may update the Software and these Terms from time to time. Material changes to these Terms will be reflected by the "Last updated" date above. Your continued use after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Georgia, United States, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Any dispute will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Georgia.
If any provision of these Terms is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions stay in full effect. Our not enforcing a provision is not a waiver of it. These Terms, together with the Refund Policy and Privacy Policy, are the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Software and Site.
Questions about these Terms? Email contact@necropolispublishing.com.