[Lima Bean]

I've self-published several novels . . . all done on Word. If you're already comfortable on Word, especially if you already have the program on the computer, there's no need to buy anything. However, it can't hurt to ask around like you're doing. Even though Word is the most popular choice, it's hardly the only game in town. A lot of writers swear by Scrivener. I've been told it's great for managing long mansucripts, viewing chapters at a glance, and overall organizination. I've never used it though, so I have no practical experience.

But I can speak for Word. It gets the job done. Places like Amazon, Smashwords and D2D are setup to convert Word documents to digital format. When you're ready to offer your novel for sale, your document will be good to go, but be sure to familiarize yourself with the DO's and DON'Ts of Word fomatting. I suggest reading the free for downloading Smashwords guide. It will save you a lot of headaches down the line.

If you're a beginning writer though, don't even think of publishing your novel to Amazon, Smashwords adn D2D at the moment. That's a long ways off. It's more important to hone your craft. Get feedback from other writers first. Join a critique group like Critters, Hatrack, Critters Circle or Litopia. Like the others have said, the important thing is to write, write, write. Don't wory about the technical side just yet . . .

Then again, if you prefer to write via the computer keyboard, it makes sense to begin where you're going to need to end--a program that's easily converted to ebook and paperback form. Hence, the reason you were asking in the first place. Right?