Writers! What is your favorite desktop publishing software

[Tiikeri]

What is your favorite desktop publishing software?

 

[aramis]

I use Apple's Pages.

I used to use Pagemaker (4.2a through 6.1), but haven't been able to afford the migration (and 6.1 was through work).

 

[Blue Ghost]

I used Microsoft Publisher for a JTAS adventure I wrote earlier this year.

 

[tjoneslo]

I've been using an open source package called Scribus.

 

[Timerover51]

I am using Pages for the initial write up and then exporting as PDF to one of my Adobe programs for final format. I can handle Word for export to Pages if needed.

 

[aramis]

I've been using an open source package called Scribus.

I've got Scribus installed, but just can't find the motivation to learn it.

 

[Tiikeri]

I checked out Scribus; the price is right

 

[aramis]

I checked out Scribus; the price is right

Feature for feature, it's Pagemaker 4.2... and just as unkind an interface.

 

[cym0k]

Not exactly for publishing, but for writing Scrivener is wonderful.

Handy for planning and storing information for RPGs too, incidentally.

 

[Enoff]

I have Scrivener on my computer also, it does seem you have to devote some time to understand how to use well which I haven't. Also I have Nitro Pro 9 on my computer as PDF reader and editor, Adobe Acrobat seems such bloatware.

 

[Kilgs]

SCrivener is pretty slick although I haven't gotten completely into it. I like that the demo actually tracks the initial 30 days free... I've got ten days left on it and have had the program for over a year.

 

[FreeTrav]

Freelance Traveller is currently built using Microsoft Publisher 2010, though some of the early issues were done with Publisher 2003.

For actual writing (authory, rather than editory), I've been known to use Microsoft Word (2003 or 2010, depending on where I am when I'm doing it), Notepad, one or another of the OpenForks, Microsoft Works 9.0, Fliq Notes, OliveOffice Premium, Picsel SmartOffice 2.0, Kingsoft Office/WPS Office, Polaris Office, Docs to Go, QuickOffice, ...

 

[Hemdian]

Long ago I used Timeworks DTP (on GEM on DOS) and really enjoyed using it. When Windows 95 came out it morphed into Pressworks. The last Pressworks project I did was the box cover for Traveller Universe. This was on Windows XP.

Recently I've started to dabble with MS Publisher 2007 on Windows 7, but only because I had a 'free' copy bundled with MS Office. That was for a T5 Referee Screen and it seems okay so far.

Since some people have mentioned Scrivener, I'll add that a good alternative for novel writing is yWriter ... which is sort of Scrivener-lite (and donation-ware/free). The basic features are fairly intuitive, no training videos required.

 

[tjoneslo]

Feature for feature, it's Pagemaker 4.2... and just as unkind an interface.

I'm not motivated to spend $$$$$ on a software package I'm going to use once or twice. I would hope there might be a intermediate (i.e. inexpensive or free) DTP software that has more features than MS Word as a layout package.

 

[aramis]

I'm not motivated to spend $$$$$ on a software package I'm going to use once or twice. I would hope there might be a intermediate (i.e. inexpensive or free) DTP software that has more features than MS Word as a layout package.

Scribus is free. It's just a pain. Incredibly powerful, but not intuitive to me.

One thing about it that I particularly don't like - it expects all the text to be in raw text files. It's not fond even of RTF.