I would recommend checking with your bindery to see if they want it as 'loose-leaf' before cutting them 1st. If anything, remove the staples 1st, as that will help.


Re Double Sided printing:
Microsoft Word should be sufficient for your needs. I've used it for printing double sided cover pages, and it worked perfectly fine. Are you using Office 2003 or Office 2007? Let me know, and I'll try walking you through it. One key, is to use "Mirror Margins" when setting the custom margins.

'Reading' / 'Reading soon' stack: DC/Vertigo - ArtOps, Batgirl, Gotham Academy, Gotham by Midnight, Injustice; Marvel - Allred's Silver Surfer; Other - Abe Sapien, Descender, Fight Club 2, Goon, Mind MGMT, Southern Bastards