Been experimenting with book-making apps for a while now, and for beginners, I'd wholeheartedly recommend Scribus. It's open-source, so no hidden costs, and the interface is surprisingly intuitive once you get past the initial learning curve. What I love is how it handles layout flexibility—whether you're crafting a photo book or a novel manuscript, the grid tools make alignment effortless.
For those diving into EPUBs, Sigil’s another gem. It’s barebones compared to fancy paid options, but that simplicity means you focus on content, not distractions. The preview feature lets you toggle between code and visual editing, which demystifies formatting quirks. Pair it with Calibre for conversion, and you’ve got a solid free pipeline from draft to e-book.