There are a number of issues with using Publisher. As a graphic designer (and photographer) I stay away from Publisher like the plague. I use Adobe InDesign for layout work, or in some instances Adobe Illustrator.
The best way to avoid issues is to use a calibrated wide gamut monitor (don't just go out and get one if you don't have one, I am not trying to spend your money for you) and a program like InDesign which is better integrated with Photoshop.
Like others have mentioned you can get an Adobe suite which includes InDesign, Photoshop, and other programs. Be careful of the licensing though, if you get a student edition. There are two versions, one lets you use it on more than one computer, the other limits it to one "personal" machine.
Change your images to 8-bit if they are not already, and use convert to profile to change them to sRGB. (Remember to softproof) Also make sure your color settings are correct in your layout program. I've experimented with using a variety of workspaces but I found that sRGB works best in layout programs (while I use ProPhoto in Photoshop). Most of the time you won't be printing to a wide gamut printer with a layout program. Now of course all this does depend on what printer/paper/ink you are using as well.
I hope that helps.