Getting myself published in proper, non-internet book form was one of my vague ambitions when I was younger, before I met people who were actually active in pursuit of that ambition, expending considerable time, effort and life force to get their work noticed in the fickle maelstrom, and I realised I didn't have the necessary determination.
But now it might be happening accidentally, as I got an email from a professor in Brazil requesting the use of one of my photos of Jeju Island for a book she's writing about coasts for a proper publisher. And by 'request,' I mean she bothered going through the proper legal channels and getting my signed permission to reproduce something anyone could just steal from the internet (or rather, the slightly better quality version on my hard drive).
I didn't expect it would be my photography 'skills' that would be my path to secluded footnote immortality, but as the saying goes, if you obsessively document your activities for four years and throw enough shit jpgs at Picasa, some of it will stick.
This is how you're supposed to do it, bastards.
I've had comments before from people asking if they can use my photos for their books - someone wanted to use one of my Batu Caves pictures as a cover image, and I said, yes, that's fine and good luck with the thing. But as I wasn't required to sign anything back then, I assume it wasn't the most professional publishing endeavour.
And I know there will be plenty of small-fry travel pamphlets, travel agent signboards and other publications out there making non-solicited use of my non-watermarked images because they couldn't be bothered to get permission or are just a bit naive about legal matters. I don't know which category the British Broadcasting Corporation falls into.
The book is still being written and won't be out for around two years, but I'm looking forward to the day when I can exhaustively tour high-end book shops in the hope of seeing one of my arbitrary photos squashed onto an A4 page in the physical world and my pompous website URL spoiling an otherwise respectable list of sources.
Unless this is all just an elaborate scam to get hold of my signature through unrealistic flattery. Oh.
