Originally Posted by
mwenz
I do make a living doing layout. But I fail to understand the distinction--except the pricing between Affinity Publisher and other options.
The free version of Viva Designer may well suit people needing more control and output. Certainly the free Scribus is capable. Both are even less than Affinity products even when on sale...
Generally, I recommend just using Word if one has it, LibreOffice Writer (free) if not. The typographical control, numbering, TOC, indexing, foot/end notes, sections and graphic handling are more than up to a "non-professional's" book making.
Doing a book in something entirely not made for it (Xara applications) is not a pro-vs-non-pro issue.