[HazelGirl]

I have an iMac and a mbp and have recently begun working on a draft of what will (hopefully one day) become a textbook. I just bought iWork 08 and haven't had a chance to look at it yet. I bought it for Pages. I also have MS Office 08 but I'm hoping iWorks will be a little easier to handle (we'll see)! I was just wondering, could any of you recommend any decent software that would be good for this purpose? I want to be able to have freedom with using different shapes, colors, images, and layouts for a textbook. Are simple Word processing apps good enough for this? I hope I am clear here...I have to run and teach now but I'll check back later.....TIA

[Andy8]

Pages should do the trick for simple layouts, much less bloat than Word, but both applications have pros and cons, it just depends what your comfortable working with.

[quietjim]

I have both Pages and Word. Normally, I would say that for something involving page layout, pages is far superior. It allows you to change the baseline and to do individual kerning. But I don't believe it is good at long documents like a textbook. I have iWork 06, not 08, so perhaps that has been added but unless it has, I would try Word.

The real problem here though is that you are rying to do a whole book layout with a word processor. Word processors are for short documents with basic formatting; for a whole book, definitely get InDesign.

Finally, Stiles Are Your Friend. Everything needs to be done in styles so that when you maek the eventual change, you can make sure the whole document is consistent. InDesign will allow you to transfer styles intact from Word; Pages will generate a word document.

[analogika]

Word is not a layout program.

Regardless of what the marketing department assholes decided back in 1993, when they forced Word 6 to become a cluttered, bloated, stinking mass of rotting flesh, Word is not a layout program.

Word is NOT a layout program.

"Taste" is not a function implemented into Microsoft Word (or PowerPoint, or Excel).

You can and WILL go crazy and/or blind if you try to layout stuff in Microsoft Word.

It is not a layout program.



iWork '08 is FAR superior to Word in this regard, BUT: Word has better indexing/outlining/reference/endnote features, which will probably be important if you're creating a textbook.

How about working on the text, and leaving the typesetting and layout to professionals once you're done?

[quietjim]

I think a good point is made here. Modern word processors tempt us to do layout instead of carefully distinguishing different phases of a project. But a large project like a textbook makes it critical to distinguish these four pieces:

1. Text creation
2. Text support - end notes, table of contents, bibliography, index
3. Proofing
4. Design and Presentation
5. Layout
6. Final Proof
7. Printing

If I were writing a book, I would use a simple text editor like Bean (which is free). Then I'd pour it into Word, which would let me use Word's review features to help with proofing. I'd set up the notes etc. with Word. I'd make sure everything was styled. Then I'd pour the Word document into InDesign, using the book management feature. I'd hire a layout person for the layout and a professional proofer for the final proof. I'd show it to everyone and anyone who would agree to look at it. Because it was styled, everything would be easy to change; because it was in InDesign, it would be easy to get to a printer and to repurpose.

I say this as a former magazine editor. Layout and proofing are specialized disciplines and they require a mind and eye that focus on detail in a way beyond most of us.

Good luck with your project. I hope it turns at well.

[HazelGirl]

Thanks for you responses!!! In the term term, this would be a textbook, but for right now for the purpose of my materials development class, I am only doing about a ten page chapter.....it's good to know that Pages will be helpful to me but thanks a lot for suggesting other programs that may be better whenever I take this to the next level.....YAY!!! You guys have been very helpful!!!!!

[OreoCookie]

There are more programs that can do that: RagTime, for instance (Mac developer #3, I think) or Papyrus. Especially Papyrus looks more innocent than it is, RagTime is used professionally in some companies. Both applications are `old' and mature.

[JKT]

Swift Publisher from BeLight software is another.