  Different ``analytization'' procedures for the factorized pion form factor
are discussed in comparison with the standard QCD perturbation theory at NLO.
It is argued that demanding the analyticity of the exclusive amplitude as a
\emph{whole}, entails insensitivity of the results on all scheme and
scale-setting parameters, including the factorization scale. This enables us to
develop an approach of optimized perturbation theory within the MS-bar scheme
and to generalize the Analytic Perturbation Theory to non-integer (fractional)
powers of the strong running coupling in the complex Q^2 plane
