Now that I've taken my shots at MySpace, let's move on to Facebook.

The site is great for networking, but the constant changes to the interface, privacy setting woes and Terms of Services scandals mean you should use extreme caution when using the site.

Last year, I blogged about an agent who wanted to do Facebook-only marketing for its author - and what a big mistake that would be long-term. The recent Facebook upset proves that fact.

While Facebook is a terrific site for networking, it is a private business. That means they control anything and everything that appears there. When Leo Laporte told listeners of his radio show about why he dumped Facebook, the site immediately removed links to his post and audio shared by fans of Laporte's show. One radio station's fan page was removed because of it, though Facebook has denied that was the reason. (See link to Mark Zuckerberg's column about Facebook privacy issues below.)

Facebook also has an identity crisis. The leadership cannot seem to determine exactly what the site is - and how users should access it. It's gone from a site for high school and college students, to a networking site, to a business model intent on grabbing big bucks from ads. It also wants everyone's information available to the public - something I really don't want. The privacy settings are a daily task now, because every time the site changes something, everything goes public.

And let's not forget the plethora of invites to third-party applications. Sheesh! What about all the security attacks, including the second appearance of smutware on profiles this week?

Don't get me wrong; I like Facebook. I book clients for Pop Syndicate there, network with friends and business colleagues, and also manage fan pages for clients. However, I recognize that, no matter what it feels like as a user, Facebook has total control over my content and pages. I also understand that Facebook is so integrated, once you get started, it is difficult to hop to another network with users

I'm too independent to like that - especially for marketing.

To have total control, you must pay for your own domain and hosting. Period. It isn't that expensive, and puts you in the driver's seat on your content. No one can censor you. No one can dictate which ads run on your pages. When you spend just a little money each month, you get to be the boss.

On the Web:

Rivals Seize on Troubles of Facebook (NY Times blog)

QuitFacebookDay.com

Facebook CEO Addresses Privacy Concerns (PCWorld.com)

For years, I've had a love-hate relationship with MySpace.

When it first launched, I thought it rocked. There really wasn't anything quite like it. I met some cool folks in publishing, learned about new writers and groups and was able to keep up with some good friends.

It didn't take long for the Dark Side of MySpace (I'm in a Star Wars mood.) to rear its ugly head and make the site a cesspool of raunchy, troll behavior and youthful goth idiocy. They started an area for books, but it never seemed to work like the music section - which boomed.

When I finally joined Facebook, I found my audience. 

After about five years on the site, with few contacts and a LOT of spam and creepy emails, I decided to delete my account.

This wasn't an overnight decision. As much as I don't like the site, I had several qualms about deleting that account. I asked myself:

• Am I going to miss out on contacts? 
• What if someone takes my name and makes it a porn site and I lose out on work?
• What if someone needs to touch base with me and they cannot find me because they aren't on any site but MySpace?
• What am I missing if I'm not on MySpace?

After a lot of (unnecessary) soul-searching, I wrote out a list of exactly how I use MySpace. What I found was that I didn't use it often enough and got nothing out of it when I did log in. I was also concerned about hacking. I logged in so little on the site, I was afraid someone could easily tap into it and add some photos of genitalia or other equally mortifying flare. 

Since I don't log in much, I obviously don't keep up with folks on MySpace. Plus, when I am on there, I notice that many use third-party applications to update their streams. It's not like they are "live" where we can chat.

Branding is a bit of a sticking point - one that I haven't completely resolved. Do I really want to give up the network name? For once, I was able to get my own name without any numbers or extra letters. What if another Angela Wilson takes it over and makes it a porn site?

I have to remind myself that there are hundreds of social networks out there and I am only on a handful of them. I cannot control branding on each network.

Reasons I'm just not that into MySpace:

Loaded. When MySpace started putting up homepage backgrounds with heavy graphics and movie clips, my Internet connection revolted. No way can the AT&T crapless wireless connect handle these graphics - even in a 3G network. The site is not designed for anyone with less than high speed DSL, which eliminates anyone in rural areas and the occasional urban dial up pockets. It has definitely streamlined from the last time I logged in, but it still slow. For the most part, Facebook moves quickly, unless I'm in the highly-addictive Movie quizzes section. Then, all bets are off.

Trashy. Too many ads, worse "come-on" emails than lines I'd hear in a bar, few groups I like and too many nasty commenters. MySpace is bad about not patrolling profiles for inappropriate content, or managing bad comments. 

Unfriendly. On MySpace, I had 167 friends, many of them true friends and not just network contacts.  I have more than 800 on Facebook, many in publishing. Obviously, this is highly important for me personally and professionally. Also, several business clients are on Facebook and I can easily connect with them. I've sent pitches to reporters, responded to urgent questions, requested books and interviews and attended events on Facebook. I've had no luck with any of those things on MySpace.

Are you on MySpace? How has it worked for you? Share your thoughts and your handles in the comments.

You can find me on Facebook, or email

One of the most annoying questions I receive from authors and publicists is, "Where is my book review link?"

Book reviews are fluid animals in the online realm and are posted when 1) the post had been uploaded 2) the post has been edited and 3) when the host has a slot open for it. (Virtual book tours tend to have solid deadlines.)

Why is this so annoying? Most requests are so general, it is obvious that the author or publicist didn't even bother to check the site first.  As a VBT host, this says to me:

1. If they don't check the site, then they don't subscribe to our RSS or bother to visit at least once a week.
2. If they don't subscribe or visit, then they likely aren't driving traffic to our site.
3. If they aren't driving traffic to our site by adding us to a blogroll or checking it out themselves, then they don't care about our site.
4. If they don't care about our site, then why should I care about their books?

When the "Where's the Beef" lady asked that very question, she looked at the product before uttering the famous line from the Wendy's campaign. If you want links to your book reviews, shouldn't you at least look before you ask?

For those who appreciate vintage campaigns, I've included a YouTube snippet of one of the "Where's the Beef" commercials, the brilliant, long-lasting marketing campaign for Wendy's in the 1980s. Come on, how many of you still have a T-shirt with the phrase buried in the closet?

Years ago, I created a portal site on Typepad. The idea was to have one place where I could send everyone to find links to my blogs, podcasts, resume, social networks and references.

Today, Flavors.me offers this service for free.

Unlike other sites that do something similar, Flavors.me is extremely simple; even the tech novice can figure it out. The pages are easy to generate. The clean lines make them easy to read.

When I first heard about the site, I was skeptical. Did I really need to add another online network to the overwhelming number I already belong to? Would it even add anything to my online branding campaign? My tech junkie curiosity would not let me simply ignore it, though. When I started using the service, I realized it has some terrific benefits:

• Authors who don't have Web sites can use it to connect social networks - including Facebook, WordPress, Twitter and Vimeo - to one page.
• Authors can upload photos of themselves or the cover art to their novels as the background.
• Premium members can have a specific domain for their page for about $20 per year, according to TechCrunch. That is a lot cheaper than monthly Web hosting. So, if you are just getting a Web presence, you could start with this until you can afford a Web site. (Don't count on this being here forever, though. The web changes FAST. Get a Web site as soon as possible.) Premium members can also include a contact page.

What is terrific about this is it is another way to increase your online brand . Basic accounts are free. 

One of my concerns: When you add social networks, your streams are live and shown within your Flavors page. If you have a network that you use only for private reasons, do NOT list it here.  Also, once you give Flavors.me permission to access your sites, that permission will override privacy settings.

You can find my basic page here: http://flavors.me/angelawilson. At post time, the Facebook stream was inactive.

 Over the last year, I've worked to transfer all domains from the horrendous labyrinth of GoDaddy hell to the more serene interface of 1and1.com.

At the time, I had about 50 domains. After I'd axed what I didn't need, I was left with 30.

Instead of transferring them all at one time, I decided to do them as they came due.

Serious mistake. While this saved a one-time cash pay-out, it caused a lot of headaches. 

Here are some tips based on my personal experience with domain transfers. If you've learned headaches to avoid, please share those in the comments. I'd love to hear them!

• Weed out the old. Review the domains you have and delete those you don't need. This can be difficult - especially if you purchased several to brand a series. Get tough with those that are likely to remain good thoughts and be vigilant with those that are use regularly.
• Check the time. Note the dates of your domain renewals. Initiate transfers about a month before they are due, if possible. If it is the day before, you are better off renewing through your old provider, then doing the transfer. If you don't, your domain could go on the auction block before the transfer completes. In my case, I had to pay GoDaddy so the name would not be forfeited, then also pay for the transfer. That was like paying twice for the right to use that name.
• Get the details. Each domain provider has its own way to transfer domains. Find out what you need to do, print out the FAQ and keep it handy. Also, make sure your contact information is correct - especially the email - in your old account. The domain provider will send you an email to confirm the transfer.
• Transfer in bulk. Once you get rid of the ones you really don't need, initiate the transfers. Do them all at once instead of as they come due. Do it at a time when your new domain provider has a special deal, like an initial transfer fee that is half what you normally pay. Sometimes, providers will let you secure that rate for several years. Before you begin, ask customer service if they can transfer them for you. Typically, you need hundreds for them to do it, but some companies hungry for new business will do it for you. Also, ask them to give you a special deal even if it isn't advertised. If you have a lot of domains, or want to transfer your entire hosting package there, they might cut you a deal. (Hey, just ask. All they can do is say NO, right?)
• List 'em. Keep a detailed list of the domains you are working with. Mark them as they get transfered. This can sometimes take days, so a list is extremely helpful to stay organized. Also, archive the final transfer emails - perhaps even keep printed copies in a folder for future reference.

HOT TIP: Whether you transfer or not, be sure your domain is set to auto-renew and that your credit card information is accurate. That way, you will never be in danger of losing it. You can also sign up for five or ten-year contracts. If you do this, be sure you use an email you plan to have for the long-term, so the company can contact you about the renewal.

I constantly check reviews on Amazon sites for reviews of products I want to buy. The star rating is what I look at first, then the reviews.

One thing I've noticed recently, though, is how people misuse the review area of Amazon - and, ultimately, skew the star rating system.

If you look through product reviews, you will find people who actually review the seller, rather than the item. On Amazon, you have the opportunity to review the seller in a different area of the site. Typically, customers receive an email that asks them to rate the transaction.

Unfortunately, comments like, "Fast shipping. Thanks!" along with a five-star rating now end up in the product review section. That means the star rating is for the seller, instead of the product.

As customer, this really stinks. I have to be much more vigilant about ratings and thoroughly read reviews before I make a purchase.

As an author, however, this can be a good and bad situation. If reviewers had a great experience with the seller, it will help your star rating. If they had a really bad experience, however, it could hurt it. 

This is another reason a great reason to patrol sites like Amazon for reviews. See what people are saying and how they rate your work. If they comment on the seller, gently point them to the seller review area, or simply ask them what they thought of the book itself.

Other reasons people give a bad rating:

• They don't like the cover art. 
• They wish it was offered on Kindle instead.
• They wish it was in hard copy instead of on Kindle.
• They don't like the author's Web site.
• They haven't liked anything else from the author and don't bother to read the book, just give it a bad rating. 

Related news:

This Amazon Sales Rank is Not Revolutionary (wickedly funny post)

One-Star Ratings on Amazon for Book without Kindle Version (GREAT post from Publishing Perspectives)

 I am in love with blogsites.

These nifty online venues are a combination of a blog and Web site. Typically, they are created in the Typepad or WordPress platforms, which allow you to create pages with your blog.

Why do I love them? Because I only have to go one place to find all the information I need about a person, product, company, book, or whatever I happen to be searching for.

Blogsites have (obviously) a blog, but they also include static pages that you usually find on Web sites, like the About and Contact pages. 

As a consumer, this is incredibly convenient. I don't have to search for - and visit - several sites to find what I need. I can get it all in one place. 

As a blogger and freelancer who frequently posts to the Web (and who is addicted to creating new blogs), I love blogsites for a few other reasons:

One program to update. I don't have to spend time updating several programs to make changes. Everything is in one program. I also don't have to spend a lot of time tracking down a Web designer to make costly static page changes. I can save cash by doing it myself. (This seems to be easier in Typepad - especially when dealing with photos and audio clips.)

One hosting fee. This is a biggie for my cheap Irish/German soul. For WordPress, I have one host that is extremely reliable. I keep all of my blogs with this one host for a reasonable monthly fee of $15. I don't have to pay a design company for hosting a product they created, which can run into some serious cost if you don't read your contract closely.

SEO. The more you post, the higher your search engine rankings on Bing, Google and the like. I find with some Web sites, it is tougher to fight for top rank positioning. However, blogs are updated frequently, which means they go higher in rank sometimes than a Web site for the same company. I have seen company blogs in the top five search results, while the static Web site appeared on the second page. If you combine your static pages with your blog, you don't have to spend time fighting for Web site rank; it is all tied up with your blog. (Of course, blogging frequently is a necessity.)

For authors on limited budgets, these are the perfect way to offer readers, reviewers and publishers all the information they need - and not bust the marketing budget. They are incredibly easy to set up and maintain in both Typepad and WordPress. (While I have fallen hard for WordPress, I still believe Typepad is a much more user-friendly system for busy professionals.)

Does this mean you should not have a devoted Web site and separate blog? Not at all. However, I think as communication streamlines online, these types of sites will become the norm.

Not exactly sure what I mean? Check out author M.B. Weston's site, which is hosted at Typepad. She also uses that platform for her media blog - which I found incredibly helpful when I hosted her last year at Pop Syndicate.