Your name is a unique property on the web as much as it is a unique identifier for you, your book/s, and your business. Claim your name by registering it on any and all social networking sites that you intend to use. If you have a name that's common, consider incorporating your middle initial, a nickname, or unique user "handle" to make your online persona unique. I use the handle "monicadear" as well as my given name.

Consider registering a domain name (like janedoe.com) for less than $10/year at a domain registrar like GoDaddy.com. You can always decide where you're going to point it -- if you don't yet have a website, a blog is an excellent first start.

Going to any of the free website blog providers and registering your name or user handle will give you a free blog such as http://yourname.wordpress.com. Our favorites include http://www.tumblr.com, http://www.posterous.com, and http://www.wordpress.com. Next, forward your domain name to this starter blog and start "padding out" the blog with page content related to you, the topics in your book, early reader reviews, links to your company, and more about your mission, vision, and values. When anyone types in your domain name, it points directly to the blog. This is an affordable and easy way to create a starter website.

Other social networking sites where I recommend you register include, in prioritized order:
LinkedIn.com
Facebook.com
Twitter.com
Delicious.com
Wordpress.com
Flickr.com
YouTube.com
Yelp.com
SlideShare.net
FriendFeed.com
MySpace.com
Gravatar.com
Blogger.com

As new services become available, "claim your name" by reserving your username, and return at a later date to fill out the profile. Consider opening up a "ClaimId.com" account where you have a one-stop reference for your multiple links. Here's a sample version of my own page: http://www.claimid.com/monicadear

Set up a working e-mail for all of these profiles. I recommend you set up a Gmail account (Google Mail) as a primary "catchall" for your social networking-related profiles. Alternatively, consider using your work e-mail, but forward a backup copy of all e-mail to a Gmail.com account -- you may use Gmail as your deep storage archive. Keep in mind that if you leave your current position or change your company name, you may not be able to access your work e-mail, so I recommend you maintain an author profile that is unique to you, not your workplace.

Checklist of data:

* Personal name you intend to use
* Business name you intend to use, if different
* Headshot of you, or logo at varying sizes
* E-mail address, recommend Gmail.com
* Personal or professional biography, up to three paragraphs
* List of keywords that describe you
* Your mission statement -- what are you here to accomplish?

Monica S. Flores, an active web developer since 1999, works with women entrepreneurs and fair trade, organic, holistic, sustainable, and green businesses. She blogs about how to create websites that build community and foster a feeling of connectedness. She is the author and editor of the "A Successful Woman's Handbook" series, at http://www.asuccessfulwoman.com. This tip is reproduced from "Social Networking for Women on Business", trade paperback http://www.tinyurl.com/socialnetworkingwomen and e-version http://www.tinyurl.com/socialwomenbiz.