[limedaring]

It's too bad EasyCatalog costs so much, but I expect that's they're targeting big name, high-budget publishers. I was very pleased to see the trial, and would love to buy if I could — it does what it says it does very well. That said, I'm still on the lookout for better, cheaper solutions for next time.

[smartt]

It's not crazy expensive compared to the value of the labor you're automating; but yes, it's steep for an individual if you're not yet producing revenue.

For something similar (and priced differently), we use software from http://emsoftware.com/ to import data into InDesign to automate some of the production of Kirkus Reviews' print magazine.