Originally I was working on my book of theatre, and had no need for anything other than Microsoft Word. This seemed to solve all my publishing problems. What one company doesn't have, another may. But first one has to find a reason to want to download or try software.
Web pages are a very good start.
After having a browser or two, the next seemingly logical step is a web page maker. These make the HTML language very easy to comprehend, as you do not have to learn it, just push buttons and voila, neat text in a multitude of colors and backgrounds. Personally, I still have not figured out imaging, and just may never, but I do end up with the little square and three color dots. I have tried Reptile, Hot Dog Express, various FTP programs, Arachnophilia, Hippie, and found that none of them were to my liking, they were all beyond my expertise. I did however, find Under Construction, which I found was to my purpose.