Title is Important, Right?

I imagine very few people would disagree about the importance of a good title for a book. Some may talk it down a bit and say what's inside is the most important, but that's probably only true for writers with established followings, people like a Tom Clancy, a John Grisham, or a James Patterson (not that their titles are bad, those are just examples).

For someone just trying to break into the biz, like yours truly, a nice, snappy title is definitely important.

Now I don't even have a book yet - far from it, actually - and I know that a publisher may very well call it whatever they want (I'm easy if it's gets the thing published), but at the same time I have this project I've started and I don't have a name for it.

Well, I do have a name, but in all honesty it blows. I knew that even before Wifey raised her eyebrows when I gave her the current name (which is definitely better than the first name).

I'd like to be able to call it something, something snappy, clever. Something that when I tell people the name of what I'm working on they will instantly be intrigued. As a new writer, that's what will get someone to pick the book up off the shelf and read the synopsis, or to click on More Detail in some listing on Amazon.com.

The next book on my reading list is called Hello Kitty Must Die, by Angela S. Choi. Now, I found this book via some online review, so I didn't pick it up randomly off the shelf, but that title reached and grabbed me. It says "READ ME, I'M AWESOME!" I have heard great things about the book, but the title by itself is worth a lengthy conversation at a dinner party (you know, if I went to that sort of thing).

Photo from Amazon.com

Not only is this title great, but it also gives insights into the book. It has nothing to do with Hello Kitty, but is instead a story about a girl breaking the bonds of a stereotype. Well, and a serial killer. That's not the point. The point is this title has so much depth to it, it demands notice.

Just imagine.

"So what are you reading?"

"Hello Kitty Must Die."

"Wow. That sounds interesting..."

Blah blah blah.

Now what if the title were something more restrained?

"So what are you reading?"

"Things Happen Fast." (This is not the working name of my novel, but it's about as lame.)

"Oh. How about the Blazers?"

See what I mean? I want a title full of intrigue and cleverness, and yes, I want this despite the fact I don't have a novel yet. It's not logical, but it would help wrap my head around the project.

Yes, it is this easy for me to distract myself. Why do you ask?