: Current best program for self-publishing? What is the best program (or programs) for layout, typesetting, and then printing (at home, or taking files to a printing shop) a book? It would need

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Some publishers have their own layout applications. Amazon has their own applications for design and layout for books of a graphical nature or that have specialized layout (they support many platforms as well). They also work with a print business that can make moving your work to a print version a little bit easier and allow you to reuse your existing files. As for working in fiction with low graphical content you're still best using a word processor or there's also Nimble Writer. Its more for organizing your work in chapters and keeping side notes and metadata like pictures related to what you're writing. It's got a few hiccups with the exporters but other than that its a very solid writing tool and worth the meagre price.

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If it is something as simple as a novel you can actually use a word processing program. (I know of people who produce relatively complex magazines using Word. My wife has written several books using Word.) Open Office and Libra Office are both free and will produce pdfs if you want someone else to print it. You need to check the layout on the pdf that is produced, but otherwise it is pretty straight forward.

Desktop publishing programs can produce better results if you are prepared to take the time to learn them. I have used Serif's PagePlus to produce several editions of a community magazine as well as tri-fold leaflets, birthday cards and screen presentations. You can download the starter version for free. I am not sure what restrictions it has, other than being an earlier version of the program. Normally, you are then offered an upgrade to the full program for a minimal price with no restrictions (I paid £10).

In the 1990's high end programs (such as PageMaker) offered features that were deemed necessary. Now-a-days cheap or free programs will do just about everything you could ever want. Unless you have very complex needs, I wouldn't pay for a premium product.

Personally, I never use Microsoft Publisher for three reasons. Firstly, it is very restrictive and doesn't allow you to do many things I want to do. Secondly, it is expensive. Thirdly, and this is perhaps the most important point, any document produced using the program is immediately identifiable as being produced using Publisher.

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You need a desktop layout program, such as Adobe InDesign or Quark XPress. Don't use Word; it's a word processing program and not meant for layout. You could possibly use LaTex, but I don't know much about it.

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