That’s what the survey says!  Honest.  Pew Research Center has a quiz that says:

“Take our 14 item quiz and we’ll tell you how “Millennial” you are, on a scale from 0 to 100, by comparing your answers with those of respondents to a scientific nationwide survey. You can also find out how you stack up against others your age.”

The article that goes along with it is here that says a little, but I’m sure you’ll just scroll down to scratch your head as to why the scores matter and so forth.  You can’t say I didn’t offer though.  It really attempts to explain the importance of things in our lives by generations.

So for funsies I plugged ahead.  We’ll just say that I turned out to be a Millennial.  A very high Millennial.  I’m not about to go about saying that score because I’m not sure how I want to take that answer.  You see, I’m a Gen X’er.  That’s what I’m labelled.  I’m closer to the end of it, so maybe that’s why I’m a little different.  I think it’s great for the attitude that I carry around to NOT act my age.  Sometimes this lady right here can be the youngest most animated person in the room rushing about like superman on speed.  Other times I’m like that old lady in the comic who is crabby and complains about everything especially her aching bones to just sour apple attitude.  So why am I a little off kilter about being called a Millennial?  I’m not hating, I’m really not; I cringe as the assumption on X’ers too.  I wish there was something that was called the OTHER generation.  You know, the ones who use technology, but don’t twitch too bad if you don’t use it (okay I do a little, but I need my coffee first so that could be where the twitch comes from).  I’m also looking forward in life and have a strong empathetic feel for people and humanity is quite important to me.  Pretty funny considering the first chapter of my first published book sticks humans as slaves or cattle, right?

Okay, so maybe I’m babbling and making no sense; it wouldn’t be the first time.  I think I know a little reason why my answer, and “age” happens to be skewed.  Marketing.  Social Media.  Remember all my issues trying to get the formula right about how to get my information, and my book, out to as many people as possible?  I did everything I was told to do and BOOM I had so many things online that exposed me as an author that I didn’t (and still don’t) know how to utilize them.  So I still slave away scratching my head trying to figure it out which means I’m spending a lot more time doing exactly what my scores revealed for me.  I blog, I tweet, I have an author page for Facebook, Goodreads, and Amazon that goes with my book Rise of a Queen that is on sale in all Amazon countries that carry Kindle, (a few links: US, UK, CA).  I even have the physical book. I have an about.me page (one of the first things I did that I will more than likely have to update) which I have no clue what to do with unless its something like a virtual business card.  Oh I have a Google+ but guess what?  Its bone dry and I’m figuring that out.  I interact with other bloggers, message boards, actual people, all the things I need to do marketing.  The thing is that most of it is online.  Why?  Because that’s where the people are.  I can’t camp outside bookstores screaming to read my book for a few reasons. The main one is it’s an e-book.  Can you imagine a nice little sign I carry saying buy my book…..but not here you have to go online instead of this nice bookstore I’m in front of.  The second reason is that it’s NOT in bookstores because B&N is a turd and it’s easier to do taxes than to get your physical copy there and the local bookstore is dwindling to an almost fearful drip of death.  There are used bookstores, but hardly any real ones.  You know the kind, it wasn’t too long people frequented themselves scanning the shelves for the newest treasure.  They didn’t go in for books that were on the best seller list; they went in for a book to read that interested them and it didn’t matter when it was written or by whom.  

This brings us back to online.  Oh the ever loving yet hated internet.  Digital is everywhere and sometimes surrounds a person in their sleep.  Plugging things here and there to remind people that yes, you really do exist and that you did something that you wanted to share with them.  It doesn’t put a hole in ones pocket and is quite painless, except that is seems like a full time job.  I’ve attempted backing away but how can I?  It honestly played with my sales at that point.  As we all know I’m not planning on being super rich, heck the reality is that I hope to have enough money to put back into each book I work on.  The tough part when doing all the marketing I have to keep up?  NOT WRITING.  I had spent so much time working on the business end that my creative one seemed to suffer.  I actually am quite thankful I’m not one to sit in front of the computer writing things down first thing.  I feel more comfortable with paper and pen, even more so.  I have to make sure I don’t have a wifi signal or connection to be able to get things done or the endless cycle happens once more.  The joys of being an Indie author I know.  I’m not ashamed to call myself that.  I’m proud.  I honestly look at the traditional publishing world and shake in fear of how much control I wouldn’t have.  In the same breath I mutter how I wish things could be easier on the promoting and marketing end.  I know some authors who spend a lot of time and money (which I do not have much of the latter) to get their work out there.  For most of them they are successful.  They have done this rodeo before.  I had nobody to guide me.  I have no idea about conventions and the like.  They do.  I applaud them.  I want to learn from them, but it takes time……..and technology.  *sigh*

So, back to the original reason I started this post before veering off into a jumbled mess from my brain to the page; I’m labeled younger when I’m older yet the reason for that specifically is sucking the life out of me because of my struggles to keep up and not fall behind.  I’m going to create an OTHER generation category where I feel more comfortable.  Anybody else with me?