Author's Acknowledgments

The idea of a writer, locked in a cell alone with her computer and literary agony, is a myth — at least for nonfiction. This book could not have been written without a cast of dozens, especially researcher Diane Martin, who did a mammoth job of organizing information.

She provided background files, compiled sites for the many tables in this book, and rooted out arcane online facts, often at the last minute. Working on my truly crazy schedule, Diane checked thousands of links and reviewed hundreds of sites for screen shots. Not many people are asked to search the Web for a good site index. Diane interviewed companies for the Real World stories with genuine interest and skill. Finding those companies — and clearing copyrights for them — required endless calls and e‐mail.

The staff at Watermelon Mountain Web Marketing supplemented her efforts, drawing on their extensive knowledge of the Internet to suggest sites or ways to locate information. My particular thanks to Tenley Zumwalt, Sandy Flowers, and Shawna Araiza, for helping with research, Photoshop, and those endless copyright clearances. I owe my staff a great debt for taking on extra work to allow me to write — not to mention their patience and computer support and ignoring my frustration with PCs. I promise to buy myself a new Mac, guys.

As always, my family, friends, and pets earn extra hugs for their constant support and encouragement. I'm lucky to have friends who accept that I could not always be there for them. The garden, alas, is not so forgiving.

Special thanks to all my clients, who have taught me so much and given me the opportunity to put into practice what I preach.

I'd also like to thank Kim Darosett, project editor at Wiley, for her flexibility and patience with an author who sometimes can't remember an answer from one chapter to the next, and copy editor Heidi Unger. Together, they have made this book much better than it started out. My thanks also to technical editor Paul Chaney for his careful checking of links and knowledge of Web details, and to all the other staff at Wiley — from the art department to legal — who have provided support. If errors remain, I am certain they are all mine. My appreciation goes to senior acquisitions editor Steve Hayes, for making this project possible, and to my agent, Margot Hutchison of Waterside.

I don't know how this superwoman has worked through the past several years as her young son struggles with cancer. Margot and her extraordinary family teach us all a lesson about what's important in life. If you enjoyed this book, please consider donating to Alex's Lemonade Stand in honor of Sam Hutchison at www.alexslemonade.org/donate_now.php. Thank you in advance, dear readers.