The Little Guide to Giving Poster

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The Little Guide to Giving
Poster Presentations
The Little Guide
to Giving Poster
Presentations
Simple Steps to Success

John Bond

ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD

Lanham • Boulder • New York • London
Published by Rowman & Littlefield
An imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706
www​.rowman​.com

86-90 Paul Street, London EC2A 4NE, United Kingdom

Copyright © 2023 by John Bond

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by
any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval
systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who
may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-­in-­Publication Data

Names: Bond, John, 1960– author.

Title: The little guide to giving poster presentations : simple steps to success /
John Bond.
Description: Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield, [2023] | Includes bibliographical
references and index. | Summary: “The Little Guide to Giving a Poster
Presentation: Simple Steps to Success is a practical step-by-step guide for the
novice or uncertain author on giving a poster presentation”— Provided by
publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2023019722 (print) | LCCN 2023019723 (ebook) | ISBN
9781475870152 (paperback) | ISBN 9781475870169 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Poster presentations. | Posters. | Visual communication. |
Communication in learning and scholarship. | Teaching—Aids and devices. |
Academic writing.
Classification: LCC NC1815 .B66 2023 (print) | LCC NC1815 (ebook) | DDC
744.3—dc23/eng/20230602
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023019722
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023019723

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of

American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for
Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
This book is dedicated to the future poster presenter,
author, and researcher: Nora Bond.
 Contents

Foreword: A 3-Credit Course in a Book xi

Preface: Helping Authors Communicate Their Message xiii
Acknowledgments xv
Introduction: How to Use This Book xvii

PART I: GETTING STARTED 1

Chapter 1: What Is a Poster Presentation? 3
Chapter 2: Why Give a Poster Presentation? 7
Chapter 3: Defining Your Topic 9
Chapter 4: Writing Your Title and Abstract 11
Chapter 5: Who Is Your Target Audience? 15

PART II: SECURING POSTER PRESENTATION

OPPORTUNITIES 17
Chapter 6: Finding Venues to Present 19
Chapter 7: Finding Funding for Your Presentation 23

vii
viii Contents

Chapter 8: Creating and Submitting Your Poster Presentation

Proposal 27
Chapter 9: Giving Your Idea the Best Pitch 31

PART III: CREATING YOUR MESSAGE 33

Chapter 10: Developing a Plan and Timeline 35
Chapter 11: Understanding the Parts of a Poster 37
Chapter 12: Creating a Content Outline 45
Chapter 13: Writing Your First Draft 47
Chapter 14: Deciding on What Information to Express Visually 51
Chapter 15: Keeping Track of Your Sources and References 55
Chapter 16: Editing Your Draft 57
Chapter 17: Following a Style Manual 61
Chapter 18: Getting Feedback from Colleagues and Reviewers 65

PART IV: CREATING THE POSTER 69

Chapter 19: Getting Started 71
Chapter 20: Understanding Text Sizes, Layout, and More 75
Chapter 21: Using Whitespace and Color 81
Chapter 22: Creating Eye-­Catching Visuals 85
Chapter 23: Your Final Draft and Final Review 89
Chapter 24: Submitting and Printing Your Poster 91

PART V: PRESENTING YOUR POSTER AND BEYOND 95

Chapter 25: Giving a Poster Presentation 97
Chapter 26: Handouts, Networking, and Follow-­Ups 107
Chapter 27: Promoting Your Work 111
Chapter 28: Growing Your Poster into an Article and Beyond 115
 Contents ix

Sample Forms 117

Further Reading 121
Bibliography 123
Resources 125
Index 129
About the Author 131
 Foreword
A 3-Credit Course in a Book

A poster presentation. Sounds so simple and perhaps even elementary

to some in the academic community. Yet to others, the creation of a
poster, let alone the actual presentation of the content, can be a daunt-
ing task. Most of us professors have seen hundreds if not thousands of
posters in passing during our conference travels, but rarely do we spend
quality time honing the skills necessary to showcase that poster that
stands out to everyone as simply impressive. Impressive in its appear-
ance, impressive in the content, and impressive in the delivery.
I have known John Bond for some twenty-­five years. During this
time, we have already had a very successful professional relationship,
in my role as an author and John’s role as publisher. However, like any
other trusting business relationship, a mutual respect and established
friendship makes for greater outcomes. The first day I met John, I real-
ized how little I knew about professional writing. Literally every time
we met or spoke to each other, I would always pick up another pointer.
Yet the pointer came later in the conversation following John’s inquiry
of my family, my travels, my health, and anything else nonprofession-
ally related. Why is this important for you as a reader of this book to
know? Because I trust John Bond. I have come to learn that whatever
John says, or in this case writes, is conveyed not only with experience
and guidance but also with sincerity and compassion for one to trust and
heed such advice.
When I first learned he wrote a book on giving a poster presentation,
I must admit I wondered “how does John know about this topic?” After

xi
xii Foreword

all, we had never discussed poster presentations. When I was asked by

John to provide a review for the book, I was highly anxious to see what
was included. And truth be told it wasn’t so that I could critique the
work and reveal that this wasn’t John’s space. In fact, quite the oppo-
site. I knew that anything John touched and developed would be noth-
ing less than an absolutely marvelous book. And as I expected, after
myself preparing and presenting hundreds of posters in various formats
all over the world, I was not disappointed. I wish I had this resource
twenty-­five years ago!
One gains a fascinating appreciation from John’s work in this book
that makes me wonder should this in fact be an entire 3-credit course.
Defining the topic clearly, having the ideal content layout and visual
appearance, identifying the most appropriate and beneficial place to
submit and present, to knowing how to transition your poster into a
peer-­reviewed publication in an impactful journal. Wow, most of us
only learn this in school by observing our mentors and gaining the
necessary skills as we go. Like all else in life, such an approach has its
advantages, but nothing can top the formal and its foundation of best
practices.
The Little Guide to Giving Poster Presentations is a resource that
should be on every student’s desk, regardless of whether one is an
undergraduate preparing the first-­ever poster or a postdoctoral student
with previous experience. In fact, all faculty should take the time to read
this as there is something between the covers that I truly believe can be
a valuable addition to one’s existing knowledge. It was a pleasure to
learn from John Bond once again. Trust me, this is a book you do not
want to pass over!

Jeff G. Konin, PhD, ATC, PT, FACSM, FNATA

Clinical Professor, Florida International University
Director, Doctor of Athletic Training Program, FIU
President, Konin Consulting, LLC
Founder and Partner, The Rehberg Konin Group
 Preface
Helping Authors Communicate
Their Message

There are many opportunities open to researchers, academics, postdocs,

and students to disseminate their research and work to the wider world.
I have worked with key figures in their field as well as students just
getting started. Many have been based in North America and Europe
but also in Pakistan, Uruguay, and the Philippines. They all share one
thing in common: the desire to be part of the intellectual discourse in
their community.
But there are barriers to participating in an activity like giving a
poster presentation: free time, limited resources, being new to a field,
and the requisite knowledge. This book addresses the last one: how to
give poster presentations. The book guides those with a desire to pres-
ent their work in simple steps.
I have worked for over thirty years in scholarly publishing: as an
editor, publisher, chief content officer, author, mentor, and writing and
publishing consultant. See the “About the Author” section at the end of
the book to learn more about my background including my YouTube
channel (which has over one hundred videos on scholarly publishing
topics you might find of interest). I have overseen the publishing of
20,000 journal articles and 500 books in my career and written six
books myself. I have attended over 100 poster presentations across a
wide range of disciplines and spoken with countless presenters. My
most recent book is a companion to this one: The Little Guide to Getting
Your Journal Article Published: Simple Steps to Success.

xiii
xiv Preface

But by far my greatest accomplishment is the privilege of having

worked with an array of interesting authors on spreading their message
and research.
I decided to write this book as a response to so many clients who had
many questions about the process of giving a poster presentation. This
slim volume lays out the step-­by-­step process to taking the big step
of presenting your work as a poster. With attention to detail and hard
work, I know you will be successful. Good luck and let me know when
you have presented your poster!

John Bond
 Acknowledgments

This book is an accumulation of knowledge that I have gained over the

last thirty-­plus years. I have learned so much from so many people.
From the first professional conference I attended in Baltimore, to the
first poster presentation I browsed while looking for book authors, to
speaking with authors one-­on-­one, I have been the beneficiary of so
much practical knowledge and hard-­fought wisdom. I am at a loss at
how to acknowledge so many people who taught me so much.
One group I can acknowledge is the very generous reviewers of the
manuscript for this book: Lori T. Andersen, EdD, OTR/L, FAOTA;
Emily Compagnoni, RN, BSN; Nancy Doyle, OTD, OTR/L; Ben Finio,
PhD; Liat Gafni-­Lachter, PhD, OTD, OTR/L; Jeff Konin, PhD, ATC,
PT, FACSM, FNATA; David Klassen, PhD, and others. They all pro-
vided valuable, detailed suggestions. Any shortcomings in the book,
however, are mine and do not reflect on them.
My thanks as well to support and encouragement from Bill Carrigan,
PhD; Luke Holbrook, PhD; Mary Law, PhD, OT(C), FCAOT, FCAHS,
OC; Beth Linkewich, CHE, MPA, OT Reg (Ontario); Cori McMahon,
PsyD, NCCE; Eric Schmieder, ME; Lori Smith Okon, MS; Gerald
Arnell Williams, MS; and Michele Yelman, RN.
I gained the most from my valued, former colleagues at SLACK
Incorporated. Thank you for what I learned, and sometimes had to
relearn.
Finally, thank you as always to the ever-­supportive Theresa Woolley.
None of this is possible without you.

xv
 Introduction
How to Use This Book

Poster presentations are foundational to scholarly communication.

Many times, it is the first step for new or aspiring academics in sharing
their work with the wider world. These presentations are the grandpar-
ent (or child) of many great journal articles, grants, monographs, or
research careers.
The goal of this book is to learn how to take your ideas and research
and offer them in the form of a poster presentation, whether in person
or virtual. The book proceeds in a step-­by-­step fashion. Read the entire
book once. Then go back and review the key parts, making your per-
sonalized plan for the necessary steps as you proceed.
This book is (mostly) discipline- or subject-­matter neutral. It is not
a book just for STEM, the social sciences, or a specific subject area.
Many of the concepts are universal. In some places, additional work on
your part is needed to adapt these concepts to your particular subject
matter.
This book is about academic poster presentations. There are other
forms of scholarly communication such as journal articles, mono-
graphs, and more that all have value in the ecosphere of knowledge.
These other formats are not addressed here.
In regard to language in the book, I use the terms author, presenter,
and researcher interchangeably as they represent the various hats you
will wear through the process. Also, I use the terms audience, confer-
ence attendee, and reader to mean the same person with whom you will
interact. I have chosen to write this book in the familiar fashion (“when

xvii
xviii Introduction

you are writing . . .”) instead of the more academic form (“when one
is writing . . .”). The book is meant to be a conversation between us. I
hope you enjoy it.

John Bond
 Part I

GETTING STARTED
 Chapter 1

What Is a Poster Presentation?

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.

—Marie Curie

A poster presentation is one of the fundamental forms of academic or

scholarly communication. An author or researcher presents their findings
or materials in a defined or limited manner. Typically, the author creates
a poster of a standard size (e.g., 4 feet by 6 feet or 1 meter by 2 meters)
and presents their findings in a standard format (e.g., three columns with
distinct parts for each section of content such as research or conclusions).
The poster is usually presented at a conference where many attendees
might view and digest the materials being presented by the author.
Poster presentations are focused on specific findings or ideas. They
are not journal articles shrunk down with no changes. They are rarely as
broad as a peer-­reviewed journal article or oral presentation at a confer-
ence. Posters can present research data, general information, or take a
position on important topics being discussed in a field of research.
Posters are often very visual and may contain important figures or
images that get to the heart of their material. Concentrating on images is
helpful as many of the attendees at a conference may have limited time
to absorb complex material. Truly, a picture (image or table) is worth a
thousand words when it comes to a poster presentation.
Getting the balance (text and images) “just right” is key. A confer-
ence full of all text posters is nearly as bad as posters that are all images
without key data that ties it all together. Balance is vital.

3
4 Chapter 1

Poster presentations are, “One part billboard, one part research

paper” (“Effective Poster Presentations,” 2022).
Posters have been physical posters for decades but recently they
have also been presented in digital form, sometimes called ePosters.
This allows a far greater number of people to interact with the materi-
als. Also, more engaging formats such as video or animations can be
included in this option. At some conferences, posters may be presented
in both physical paper and digital format. Undoubtedly, more poster
presentations will be migrating to the digital format in the future
because of the increased availability to many more individuals. This
will also be occurring because these presentations can then be archived
and live on much, much longer than a paper poster that is made avail-
able for only a few hours at a conference.
The content of a poster presentation may be just a small section of
the larger work being done by the author. It may focus on one interest-
ing or unique aspect that can be captured in this short communication
format. Poster presentations may lead to the eventual publication of a
journal article or an oral presentation at a future conference or meet-
ing. These additional scholarly communication/publishing opportu-
nities might include part, or all of the work displayed on the poster
presentation.
Poster presentations many times take place at professional or edu-
cational conferences or venues. They may be local, regional, national,
or international. These conferences may be presented by a professional
society/association or an institution. Sometimes they take place at an
annual meeting, other times they may be topic- or theme-­based. These
conferences may include oral sessions and other educational presenta-
tions in addition to the area devoted to posters. Sometimes there are
poster presentations on a much smaller scale, for instance, taking place
within an institution and therefore less formatted and less intimidating.
These smaller-­scale ones are great opportunities for students or those
new to the format.
To present a poster at a conference, an author would typically need
to submit their work or ideas to a committee designated by the orga-
nizers of the event. This submission may be an abstract of the work
with some other key details. The committee would then peer review
the work and decide which posters to include in the event. An author
would need to attend the conference and, likely, need funding for these
 What Is a Poster Presentation? 5

activities. Authors may seek out funds from their institution, apply for
or use grant money they have previously secured, or pay for the activ-
ity themselves.
Poster presentations are widely used in the STEM fields (science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics) as well as some major areas
of the humanities (e.g., history, education, and languages).
Poster presentations are an essential part of scholarly communica-
tions. Now, why should you consider giving one?
 Chapter 2

Why Give a Poster Presentation?

Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.
—Henry Ford

Academics and researchers lead complex and busy lives. There are
innumerable ways for them to spend their “free time.” Is giving a poster
presentation a valuable use of the precious commodity of time? Most
times the answer to broad questions like this would be “it depends.”
However, in this instance, the answer is nearly an unqualified “yes.”
Poster presentations help you:

• Disseminate your work and ideas.

• Get involved in the conversation taking place in your field.
• Get valuable feedback from other like-­minded people or experts
about your work, potentially allowing it to expand. Conversely, feed-
back can allow you to see flaws in rationale, methodology, and more.
• Learn about the publishing process.
• Start on the road to new publishing adventures such as writing a jour-
nal article, writing a book chapter, writing or editing a monograph or
book, giving presentations at conferences, applying for a grant, and
more.
• Experience and navigate peer review and related submission systems.
• Meet like-­ minded professionals interested in your subject area,
thereby expanding your network. These people may be future col-
laborators or coauthors.

7
8 Chapter 2

• Add a meaningful activity to your curriculum vitae.

• (Potentially) Contribute toward promotion or tenure requirements
(check with your institution).
• Apply for or expand future grant funding.
• Sharpen your public speaking as well as dialectic skills.
• And many other intangibles.

By giving a poster presentation, you are in esteemed company.

Almost all veteran authors, researchers, and academics have given
poster presentations. For most of them, this may have been their first
step in their publishing/communications journey. Likely many continue
giving poster presentations throughout their careers. In 2022, there was
a great Tweet with a photo of Nobel Prize–winner John O’Keefe giving
a poster presentation at the Society for Neuroscience.
Of course, poster preparation and presentation take time and likely
funding (more about this later). But all good things come at a cost. On
the whole though, the effort to apply for and give a poster presentation
is well worth it from an academic and career advancement point of
view. Now, let us get started.
 Chapter 3

Defining Your Topic

Everything has been thought of before, but the problem is to think of

it again. —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

You have been doing research or work on a new idea, perhaps alone or
with a collaborator. Maybe colleagues and or supervisors have encour-
aged you to start to share it. And then information just arrived in your
mailbox/inbox about an upcoming conference which has poster presen-
tation opportunities. Maybe you saw a call for submissions. You are
going to take the plunge and submit an abstract!
Let us start at the beginning and assume you are immersed in a proj-
ect, research, or some scholarly endeavor that you want to share. Your
first step will be to define the idea or topic for your poster.
First, is your work new or unique? This question will be one of the
criteria that reviewers will use when considering your poster. No con-
ference wants to offer work that goes over the same ground as other
work in the field.
Second, focus on one single message or concept. Do not attempt
a complex or multifaceted approach. It may seem trite but be able to
summarize your findings into a short elevator ride. Ideally, be able to
explain your idea in one or two sentences. No poster can encompass all
your work, all your research, or an entire complex study. If you try to
include it all, you will lose your audience.

9
10 Chapter 3

Third, quality is the key to getting your poster accepted. It is tempting

early in your career to simply want to get accepted. Do not be short-
sighted. The goal should be to make a difference.
Using these three criteria, you will move on to developing a thesis
statement. A thesis statement presents your main idea or central mes-
sage. The argument you intend to make should be reflected in this
statement. It can usually be expressed in a single sentence. The thesis
statement helps to organize and develop the entire poster.
Once you have developed this statement, refer to it each time you
return to the tasks at hand for writing and poster creation. Let it guide
you in everything you do. Post it at your workspace.
Remember, your entire poster needs to support the thesis statement.
When deciding what to include and not include, use the thesis statement
as the benchmark. Do not let your poster become a litany of somewhat-­
related facts on your topic; it should be a supporting document to your
thesis statement.
When developing your poster, in many fields, reproducibility is criti-
cal. There has been significant discussion in academia over reproduc-
ibility these last few years. Consider how your work will stand up to
the scrutiny of others.
Also, consider metadata, which is the descriptive information about
a published item. It is used for discovery and identification purposes.
It includes elements such as title, author, and (most importantly) key-
words or terms. Think about how your work or poster can and will be
classified. Some of these terms are self-­evident yet not always included
in a poster application, title, or abstract. Metadata or keywords drive the
scholarly communication and publishing world.
Finally, when deciding on all of these essential points, ask yourself
two questions. What one takeaway do you want the audience to leave
with and why should anyone be interested in your poster? These hard
questions should guide your choices.
 Chapter 4

Writing Your Title and Abstract

If any man wish to write in a clear style, let him be first clear in his
thoughts. —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

You have defined your topic and have a thesis statement. Now let us
grow that into the next important elements.
Most conference organizers will require you to submit a summary or
abstract of your proposed poster. This is your next step. All abstracts
usually come with a word limit or range. Some use 250 words, others a
few more or a few less (Andrade, 2011). All word-processing software
readily gives word counts for any document or section of a document.
Abstracts are tricky because of the word limits. They take your
complex, multidimensional work and condense it into very, very few
words. You are not explaining your entire work or findings. It is just
the highlights.
It should cover:

• What your poster is all about.

• Why your findings/research are important.
• What work or research you did to arrive at your conclusions.
• Why your work is novel or unique.
• The conclusion or the big takeaway from the poster.

If possible (and there may not be room), add in how your work fits
into the current thinking on your topic.

11
12 Chapter 4

In most cases, there will not be room to cite other works.

A reminder about the discussion in the previous chapter about key-
words or terms—make sure important subject matter terms are included
as space allows. These also help position your work within the disci-
pline and help tremendously with any searches your audience might
make.
Spend way too much time on abstract creation and editing. Show it
to colleagues, mentors, and others and have them give you feedback on
it. Be open to all ideas. There may be time later to revise or change the
abstract, but you will want it to be (for now) as good as you can make
it. This abstract or summary might be the sole item the poster presenta-
tion committee uses to decide whether to include your work. Pressure!
But if you have confidence in your work, then let the chips fall where
they may.
Another important step at this point is coming up with the title for
the poster. This may seem deceptively simple, but do not be fooled. The
title, even more so than the abstract, can be used to judge your work. As
your audience streams by your poster someday, they will glance at the
title, and it will have to draw them in.
Of course, you want the title to be accurate and professional. These
are givens. But you are also looking to have a compelling and interest-
ing title. Try to get to the heart of what your work is about, knowing it
cannot replace the abstract or even the poster. Some professions lean
more toward label titles while others may skew toward questions. In
some fields, they might even be provocative. Scan other poster presen-
tations in your field to get a sense of the norm. As with the abstract,
spend way too much time thinking about this.
Have your title be ten words or less. Sometimes this may be a chal-
lenge but be concise. If it is too long, your audience may either skip it
or get confused.
Consider making a list of possible titles, knowing they will be using
many of the same terms. Be creative and open. Then when you have a
list of maybe a dozen possible titles, start to rank them by what works
best. Show them to friends or colleagues to get their opinions. Ask them
to vote on their choice. This will also give you insight into how your
poster may be interpreted (or misinterpreted).
Titles are very subjective, but it is easy to see when some of them
go awry. Here is a list of (fictional) poster presentation titles and some
 Writing Your Title and Abstract 13

commentary about what is right or wrong. When you read them, form
your opinion as to what you like and do not like about each one:

• A Novel Approach to Exercise (too generic, not enough details)

• Hospice Care Education (same, narrow down your focus)
• Rice Production in Thailand (better but can still add specifics here)
• The Relationship Between Academia and Practice (while you will
know what subject area because you are at a conference, if this
poster comes up in an online search, it is too broad for anyone to be
interested in pursuing it)
• Poster by John Bond (we know, but this is the place to tell us what
your poster is about)
• Developing a Novel Gene-­Sequencing Technique (better)
• Modeling and Analysis of Educational Processes in Math (better)
• The Effect of Outreach on HMO Enrollment with an Underserved
Population (nicely done)
• Economic Development Zones in Alabama (specific but probably
room to add a couple more words)
• The Effects of Conflicting Auditory Clues on Comprehension in
Students with ADHD (very nice)
• Identifying Biomarkers to Improve Personalized Treatment of MS
(very nice)
• Antibiotic Scaffolding (this is more a label than title)
• Identifying Marine Microbes in Waste Runoff (nice)
• Temperature and Mating Patterns in T. migratorius (very specific)
• Physiological Responses to Sudden Withdrawal of Antianxiety
Medication (very descriptive)

A key concept for both the abstract and title are to hold nothing back.
Some novice authors or researchers want to hold back the big conclu-
sion for those who experience the full text. This is a mistake. Many
people will only ever encounter the title and abstract, perhaps in an
online database. They need to know what conclusions you came to and
not have them held back like a surprise ending in a movie.
You have a title and abstract, now let us discuss who your audience
is.
 Chapter 5

Who Is Your Target Audience?

If you would be a reader, read; if a writer, write. —Epictetus

It is essential to know who the audience will be for your poster presen-
tation. This will help you tailor your idea, title, and abstract to ensure it
hits the mark with them.
Look closely at the society or institution that will be presenting the
conference. Sometimes there will be an “About” section at their web-
site that breaks down the demographics of its members. Some large
conferences also have a demographic breakdown for attendees. This
data will be a goldmine for understanding who you will be interacting
with. Of course, not everyone who attends the conference will walk by
your poster, or even attend the presentations, but this is a start. Also,
conferences sometimes may be topic based. This information will help
you to focus and determine if this event is the right place for you and
your work. If your work is not a good match for the group or meeting,
consider looking elsewhere.
Look at the backgrounds of the people who have previously pre-
sented posters. This will help give you an insight into what the confer-
ence organizers are looking for.
Most conferences will at least add poster abstracts to their websites.
Abstracts also may end up being indexed in important databases. This
would be a great side benefit. If this might be the case, your audience
greatly expands.

15
16 Chapter 5

When considering an audience, do not just think about the person’s

profession but also the stage of their career. Even within a profession
or subject area, your material may be of greater interest to people in the
early stage of their career or to people with more experience.
Choosing an exact group when creating your presentation will
increase the engagement with your material.
Do not try to tailor your presentation toward everyone. This will only
ensure it being of interest to no one. Targeting an ideal audience will be
beneficial to you during the writing process by keeping your message
focused.
By choosing an ideal reader, you are not discounting secondary audi-
ences. These other groups may be interested in your topic, and they may
seek out and value your presentation. Even if they are not the primary
audience, they will still likely have the technical knowledge and interest
for them to appreciate your material. They are still secondary, and you
cannot completely consider them for all key decisions.
With this and all future scholarly communication efforts, knowing
who your audience or reader is will continue to be valuable. Always
keep this point at the top of your list when starting on a new project.
Now, let us move on to finding a place to present your work.
 Part II

SECURING POSTER
PRESENTATION OPPORTUNITIES
 Chapter 6

Finding Venues to Present

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more

and become more, you are a leader. —John Quincy Adams

Let us take a step back. You have summarized your idea and developed
a thesis statement for it. You have written an abstract and a title for your
poster presentation and shown it to friends and colleagues for feedback.
You have identified your target audience. Now is the time to find a
place to present the poster.
You likely have an opportunity in mind already but, in case you do
not, let us look at some:

• Large conferences or conventions: Whether national or international,

the meetings of the professional societies in your field are great
opportunities. These are usually prestige occasions. They many times
offer poster presentations on multiple days with multiple sessions.
The number of posters actually offered may be several thousand.
They are likely very well organized and also competitive. Go to
your society’s annual meeting’s home page and look for information
about the educational or academic opportunities they offer. Your first
efforts may not be on this scale, but do not discount this as a pos-
sibility. Your ideas and work will be the final determinant, not your
stature in the association. Having said this, always consider being
a member of the primary organization in your field. It offers great
educational and networking opportunities.

19
20 Chapter 6

• Regional conferences: Many aspiring presenters start with state or

regional conferences. These may be more manageable from a cost
and travel perspective. The quality of the work offered many times
can rival national conferences. These may also be less competitive
for the person seeking their first opportunity.
• Institutional symposiums or meetings: Local universities, health-­care
centers, governmental bodies, and other organizations may organize
conferences, many times topic-­based. These may be the best chances
to do a poster presentation. They also give great networking oppor-
tunities to find like-­minded people in your field. They also may raise
your profile from a career perspective.
• Departmental meetings: Some very large institutions may have large
subsections of departments. These may also be a great opportunity
to give a poster.

By keeping an eye open on these venues, you will likely find many
places to consider presenting your poster. But there are other ways to
find out about places to present.

• Networking: By talking to others in your institution, department, or

circle of colleagues, you will expand your chance of hearing about
conferences. Tell them you are interested in presenting your recent
work and ask them to keep an eye out for you.
• Tell your supervisor: Many times, this person is tuned in to many dif-
ferent areas. They may be your best eyes and ears, as well as know of
interdisciplinary opportunities that suit your work.
• Watch for “Call for posters” or “Call for papers”: These communica-
tions may be issued by the organizations listed above. They will give
details including topic focus, deadline, and presentation specifics/
locations. Try doing an internet search for calls in your field. A side
note about something called predatory publishing—in recent years,
some organizations have popped up that offer to publish your work
for a fee, but they provide no service and no real value. When you do
find an opportunity through a search, make sure it is from a recog-
nized or well-­respected organization.

Remember that these opportunities might be in person or virtual.

Both are equally valuable and offer many of the same benefits. Read
more about virtual versus in-person later in this book.
 Finding Venues to Present 21

By focusing on the best fit for your work or topic with the conference
or theme of the event, you will increase the likelihood of acceptance.
Do not choose one because you will probably be able to present but
apply for those that matter and that will showcase your work.
Some fortunate few may not need to look for presentation opportuni-
ties or applicable conferences and tend to all the details involved with
submission. An experienced person they work with may come in one
day and say, “Here is a good opportunity for you to present your work.
Why don’t you apply for it?” If you are in this situation, appreciate the
person handing you the opportunity but know it may not always be like
this.
A point to consider is where you are in your career, and where that
puts you in relation to the audience. Your approach will be different if
you are a young graduate student getting your feet wet and looking for
speaking experience, compared to a senior graduate student or postdoc
who is on the job market and looking for some serious networking.
So you have narrowed down a couple of venues to submit your work
to. How are you going to pay for it?
 Chapter 7

Finding Funding for

Your Presentation

A benefactor is a representative of God. —Benjamin Whichcote

There is no doubt that giving poster presentations can advance your

research and career. It offers networking and professional opportunities,
but it does come at a cost.
First, let us look at what these costs are and then how you might get
funding for them. Perhaps the top expense might be the registration fee
to attend the conference. For national or international conferences, this
fee can be significant. This fee may be lessened if you are a member of
the organizing body (which is itself an expense). Some groups might
lessen the registration fee for individuals who are presenting. Some-
times this includes poster presenters, other times it does not. If your
poster is accepted and the group does not volunteer a reduced registra-
tion fee, ask them anyway.
After the registration fee, travel is likely the next biggest expense.
Flights, hotels, meals, transportation at the location, and others costs
quickly add up. If the location is a destination location like New York,
San Francisco, London, or Tokyo (good news and bad news) then the
costs can be significantly higher. But look at the experience you will
have!
The other hidden expense is your time. Being at a conference can eat
up a big chunk of your work week. This time out of your office might
be professional but sometimes it might be vacation or comp time. And
there is all that work and research not getting done.

23
24 Chapter 7

Sample costs can vary widely. Here is a brief look at what they may
run:

• Conference registration: ranges from free (some waive the fee for
presenters) to $1,500 or more. Perhaps $250 to $500 is an average
for presenters.
• Travel: this may be as little as gas or a subway ticket up to an airline
ticket. Local: perhaps $100 for parking or travel. Airfare: domestic,
perhaps $250 to $1,000. The likely average is $500. International,
$1,500 and up.
• Hotel: accommodations vary in quality as well, including distance
from the event. Perhaps from $150 to $500 per night. Consider $250
an average which includes taxes and other fees.
• Meals: perhaps $50 a day, and up.
• Incidentals: perhaps figure $25 a day for unexpected expenses.
• Your time out of the office and the value your presentation presents
for your career? Priceless.

When you have a handle on these costs, develop a budget. This may
be only for your information so you know what you are getting yourself
into or it may be to request funding.
Depending on your circumstances, you might be able to ask for
funding from your institution. It may be partial, or they may have an
educational fund for just these opportunities.
If your work is grant-­funded, the grant might cover presentations like
this. Check with the funding body to see if there are additional funds
available outside the grant.
All of these groups have a vested interest in your presenting and
your work being disseminated. Whether it is your institution or a grant
funder, when you present about your work, their goals are advanced.
Your efforts are the best public relations for these groups. Include this
point in any funding request.
Sometimes the conference may either reduce registration fees or have
small first-­time presenter grants. Ask the organizers.
Universities sometimes have small grants for junior faculty or for
initiatives such as international presentations. Additionally, you should
justify the benefit to your employer/institution when presenting the
budget so it goes beyond your benefit.
 Finding Funding for Your Presentation 25

Part of developing a budget and seeking funding is to determine

whether a poster presentation is worth your time. In essence, is it a good
return on your (time) investment? However, part of the calculation is
not quantifiable. Getting started on your wider academic and research
career and gaining valuable skills when interacting with other like-­
minded people in your field cannot have a number attached to it. Keep
this in mind when you make your decision.
In some fields, there is no worry about funding because of industries
that have a vested interest in the work. Others struggle through with
little industry, institutional, or grant funding. This is a challenge, but
nonetheless the need for presenting your work persists.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
“Oh,” with an impatient whirl of his glasses, “the fellow has always as
many excuses as an Irishman!”
“I think you are unjust,” she said, with a flash in her dark eyes. “I
admit that Owen has been extravagant and foolish, but he was not
worse, or half as bad, as many young men in his position. Are you
quite determined? Won’t you give Owen another chance—or even
half a chance?”
“No; his future is now in his own hands, and I stick to what I’ve said,”
he declared, with irritable vehemence. “You came here, my clever
Leila, to talk me over. Oh, you are good at that, but it’s no go this
time! I am honestly giving the boy his only remedy. Let me see,”
sitting down at his bureau, “what is the date? Yes—look here—I
make an entry. I give Owen two years from to-day to work out his
time—to-day is the thirty-first of March.”
“But why not wait until to-morrow, and make it the first of April?”
suggested his niece, with a significant and seductive smile.
“Leila,” he spluttered, “I’m astonished at you! You jeer at me because
I’m not disposed to keep your beloved brother as an ‘objêt de luxe,’
eh?”
“I don’t jeer, Uncle Dick, and I am sorry my tongue was too many for
me; but I can see both sides of the question, and it is hard that, after
indulging Owen as a boy, sending him to Eton, putting him into the
Hussars, and letting him become accustomed to the Service, sport,
and society, you suddenly pull up and throw him out in the world to
sink or swim. What can he do?”
“That is for him to find out, and, since he wouldn’t pull up, I must.”
“Listen to me,” she said, rising and coming closer to him; “supposing
Owen were to give you a promise in writing that he would stick
steadily to one situation for two years, what would you say then?”
“I’d say that the promise would not be worth the paper it was written
on!” he answered, with gruff emphasis. “Give me deeds, not
documents.”
“Oh, so that is your opinion and your last word?”
“It’s my opinion—yes—but as to the last word, of course it’s your
perquisite!” and he chuckled complacently.
Lady Kesters stood for a moment looking steadily at her uncle, and
he as steadily at her. Then she slowly crossed the room and touched
a bell to summon a footman, who presently ushered her out of the
house.
 CHAPTER IV
LEILA’S IDEA

As Lady Kesters motored home in her smart new Rolls-Royce, her

expression was unusually grave; for once Uncle Dick had proved
invulnerable, and she was overpowered with surprise; for her
ladyship was so accustomed “to push the world before her,” to
borrow an Irish expression, that any little resistance affected her in
the nature of a shock.
Her brother was awaiting her in the smoking-room, and as she
entered and threw off her furs, he said—
“So it was no go, Leila! Your embassy was a failure; defeat is written
on your face—ahem—I told you so!”
“Now, Owen, I call this base ingratitude. I’ve wasted my whole
morning fighting for you, I am worsted in the battle, and you receive
me with grins and gibes!”
“You see, I can understand Uncle Dick’s attitude; he is pretty sick of
me, and I don’t blame him; after all, when you come to think of it,
why should he support a healthy, able-bodied duffer simply because
he is his nephew?”
“Worse than that,” amended his sister, “his heir! I can understand his
attitude even better than you, Owen. As a young man he never had
any real fling, and could scarcely afford cabs and clothes or anything
he wanted. He was hampered by a hopelessly extravagant father.”
“And now in his old age he is tormented by a spendthrift nephew.”
“Yes, and I can’t exactly explain; but I grasp the situation. You have
had, what as a young man he never enjoyed—that is to say, a
splendid time—and chiefly at his expense. He must feel just a little
bit sore.”
“No; old Dick is a rattling good sort, and I don’t agree with you, Leila.
It’s not so much the money he grudges, but that he thinks I’ll never
do any good. I’ve no ballast. I’ve got to sally out into the world, like
the hero in a fairy tale, and prove myself!”
“Yes, my dear brother; you practically start to-day, March the 31st,
and do you know that I’ve got an idea,—and from Purdon, of all
people. He is rather smart looking, and might pass for a gentleman,
till he opens his mouth; besides, I happen to know that his mother
lives in Fulham, and keeps a small greengrocer’s shop.”
“Yes, but your idea? You don’t want me to start in that line, do you?”
“No,” with an irrepressible smile; “I want you to become a chauffeur!”
“A chauffeur!” he repeated, subsiding into an adjacent arm-chair;
“but why?”
“But why not?”
“Well, of course, I used to drive a car—and yes—your idea isn’t half
bad; a chauffeur gets about the world for nothing, has fair pay, and,
by all accounts, bar washing the car, a fairly good time.”
“You need not be thinking of a good time, Owen; but put all idea of
amusement out of your head, and make up your mind that, during
the next two years, you will be doing time—as a punishment for your
crimes! Now, to be practical, you must have a certificate, and you
and I will run into the country for the next day or two, and you shall
drive the car; of course you are out of practice, and Purdon shall give
you tips. I suppose you know all about magnetos, carburetters, and
speed? I expect in a week you will qualify and pass, and there you
are!”
“Yes, my lady, in a new black leather suit. I’ll do my best; I see you’ve
fixed it up.”
She nodded assent. He was accustomed to Leila’s fixing up of his
affairs, and never disputed her authority.
“You can take the car out in the morning, and get accustomed to the
traffic. I think you will make an excellent chauffeur, as you have a
strong head and no nerves.”
“Perhaps I may, and I’ve a sort of taste for mechanics. As a kid, you
remember, I was mad to be an engine-driver.”
“Yes; you were always blowing things up, or breaking them down, or
taking them to pieces.”
“I dare say I’ll have something of the breaking down and taking to
pieces in my new career.”
“Only it’s so frightfully risky; you might go in for being an airman—
that’s where you could make money!”
“Yes, with a two to one chance of breaking my neck.”
“Think of ten thousand pounds earned in a few hours! All the same
it’s out of the question, I couldn’t bear the anxiety, it’s too dangerous;
though I see the day coming when airships will displace motors, and
I shall be flying over to Paris to dine and do a theatre.”
“Meanwhile, give me mother earth and a 60 h.p. car! Well, so it’s
settled,” he said, jumping to his feet and tossing the stump of his
cigarette into the fire; “yes, I’ll be a chauffeur all right—but what
about the pay?”
“I expect you start at two guineas a week, with or without clothes,
and find yourself.”
“A hundred a year, and an open-air billet! I say, I shall do splendidly.
Leila, I feel that Uncle Dick’s prize is already in my hand.”
“Don’t be too sure of that! Bear in mind that some situations may not
suit you, that you may not suit them, and be thrown out of
employment.”
“That’s true; it has happened to me twice already—the Army and the
ranch—and I’ve no luck.”
“What do you mean, Owen?”
“I mean that nothing comes my way; other chaps get all they want in
big things, or little. Don’t you know the sort that fall across people
they wish to meet, that get the best corners at a shoot, the best
hands at cards, that win big sweepstakes and lotteries, come in for
fine legacies, and, at a good old age, die very comfortably in their
beds?”
His sister nodded.
“I have one peculiarity. I can’t call it gift, and it’s of no earthly value. I
only wish it was marketable; I’d pass it on like a shot.”
“What is it—second sight?”
“No, that’s all bosh! It’s—it’s—I don’t know how to put it—the being
on the spot when out-of-the-way affairs come off,—sensational
things, accidents, discoveries, deaths. They seem to drop into my
day’s work in an extraordinary way; sometimes I begin to think I’ve
got the Evil Eye!”
“Now that’s nonsense if you like! You have knocked about a good
deal for the last seven years, and naturally seen far more than
people at home.”
“Well, anyhow, I wish this queer sort of fate would change, and
shove me towards something different—a good post.”
“And you believe you’d keep it?”
“Anyway, I’d do my little best. My three weeks as steward were a
breaking-in.”
“But you were acting all the time, Owen—you know you love it! and
you realised that there was a limit to the experience?”
“No, honour bright, I wasn’t playing the fool. I am quick and ready,
and not afraid of work. I say, look here,” and he took his hands out of
his pockets and held them up, the palms towards her.
“Oh, oh, my poor dear boy! they are like—like—leather! Like a
working man’s, only clean!”
“Well, I never was a kid-glove chap, and the reins have hardly been
out of them for twelve months. I’m fairly good with my hands,
although an awful duffer with my head.”
“Just the opposite to me,” declared his sister; “I can scarcely sew a
button on, and I can’t do up a parcel or tie a knot. But to return to our
business. Once you have a certificate, the next thing will be to find
you a situation. You had better begin in some very quiet country
place—a long way from Town and talk—and I will recommend you.”
“You!” and he burst into a loud laugh.
“Oh yes, you may laugh; but who else is there? We do not wish to
invite the world into our family laundry.”
“Thank you, Leila.”
“Don’t be silly! I will give you an excellent character,” she continued
imperturbably, “as a sober, respectable young man, most careful,
obliging, and anxious to please.”
“Well, that sounds all right.”
“And you must really be, as the French advertisements say, ‘un
chauffeur sérieux,’ and promise not to play the fool, and I shall get
you a nice situation that I happen to know of, with two old ladies.”
“O Lord!” he expostulated; “can’t you make it a couple of old
gentlemen? I’d much rather go to them.”
“Yes, no doubt you would,” she answered; “but you cannot pick and
choose, and this place seems the very one for a start. These are the
two Miss Parretts.”
“I say, what a name! Any cats?”
“I believe they are an old French family—de Palairet, and have the
dark eyes and animation of the race,—but they are so long in
England, they have become Parrett.”
“De Palairet is rather a mouthful. And whereabouts do the old birds
nest?”
“In a remote part of Midshire. I came across them when I stayed with
our cousins, the Davenants, down at Westmere; when I was a girl I
went there every summer, but now the family place is sold.”
“Yes, the Davenants are broke. Young Davenant was in the Hussars
with me, and was frightfully hard up.”
“The two Miss Parretts lived in the village of Ottinge—Ottinge-in-the-
Marsh—in a little old red cottage. They had two maids, two cats, and
a sweet garden. The original property was in the neighbourhood, and
the family manor of the Parretts. The father of these old ladies,
Colonel Parrett, married in India, when he was a sub., a planter’s
daughter, simply because he, they say, was dared to make her an
offer—and whatever a Parrett is dared to do—they do.”
“I say, I think I shall like them! I shall dare them to double my salary.”
“The first Mrs. Parrett died and left a baby, your future mistress. Her
father sent her home, and married, years later, an Irish girl, and
again his wife died and left him with two more girls. One married the
village parson, the other lived with her father and sister in the Manor.
After the death of Colonel Parrett, it was found that he had
squandered all his money putting it into follies: the Manor was
mortgaged to the chimneys, the daughters had to turn out, and for
years lived in genteel poverty. Now comes a turn of Fortune’s wheel!
Some distant Parrett relative bequeathed a heap of money to Miss
Parrett, and she and Miss Susan have gone back to the Manor. Bella
Parrett must be well over seventy; Susan is about fifty, has the
youngest heart I ever knew in an elderly body, and is the most
unselfish creature in the world. Miss Parrett is an egotistical old
person, full of pedigree and importance, but always delightfully sweet
and affectionate to me. She looks obstinate and self-willed, and I feel
positive that some one has dared her to buy a motor! I had a letter
from her the other day, asking me to take up the character of a cook;
she mentioned that she was about to purchase a most beautiful
automobile upholstered in green morocco leather,—think of that! and
would soon be looking for a nice, steady, respectable young man as
chauffeur, and”—pointing at her brother with an ivory paper knife
—“here he is!”
“Is he?” he responded doubtfully, “I’m not so sure.”
“Yes. I admit that it will be hideously dull, and I can absolutely
guarantee you against any sensational experiences. It is just a
sleepy little country place, with few big people in the neighbourhood:
no racing, shockingly bad hunting—not that this will affect you—but it
will be an ideal spot for putting in the time. You will never see a soul
you know; I’ll keep you well supplied with books, papers, and news,
and steal down to see you now and then, ‘under the rose.’”
“Don’t, don’t!” he protested, with a laugh, “think of my spotless
character.”
“Yes; but I shall come all the same! The place is notoriously healthy, I
dare say you may get some good fishing, you will hardly have
anything to do—they won’t go out much—of course you’ll pay a boy
to clean the car, and I’ve no doubt that the old ladies will take an
enormous fancy to you and leave you a fortune, and you will be just
as happy as the day is long.”
“Oh, all right. Then, in that case, my dear Sis, since you say there is
a chance of a great fortune and good fishing, you may book me for
the situation by the next post.”
 CHAPTER V
PLANS AND THREATS

When the choice of Owen’s future employment was duly imparted to

his uncle and brother-in-law, the latter received it with approval, the
former with a series of alarming explosions.
“His nephew—his heir—a common chauffeur! Outrageous! Why not
enlist, and be the King’s servant, if livery he must wear?” Then, in a
tone of angry sarcasm, “I see—I see his reason. The fellow will be
gadding round, making believe to himself it’s his own machine; to
many young asses, driving a car is an extraordinary pleasure. Yes,
that’s why he hit on it!” and he slapped his leg with a gesture of
triumph.
“You are wrong, Uncle Richard, it was I who hit on it,” protested the
culprit. “Owen never had an idea of being a chauffeur till I suggested
it.”
“That’s likely enough; his ideas are few and far between. Well, now
look here, Leila, I forbid him to adopt your plan.”
“But, my dear uncle, have you not washed your hands of him for the
next two years?” she demanded, with raised brows. “Do you really
think you are consistent?”
“But a greasy chauffeur, got up in black leather, like a boot——”
“The pay is not bad, it’s a job he can manage, and, after all, you will
allow that Owen must live; or are you going to say, ‘Je n’en vois pas
la necessité’?”
“Umph! I wonder, Leila, where you got that tongue of yours?”
“And,” dismissing the question with an airy gesture, “I know of a nice
quiet place in a country village, with two darling old maiden ladies,
where he will be, so to speak, out at grass, with his shoes off!”
“Oh yes,” he snarled, “I know your quiet, wicked little country village,
with the devil peeping behind the hedges and finding plenty for an
idle young man to do. Villages are pestilential traps, swarming with
pretty girls. Just the place where Owen will fall into the worst scrape
of all—matrimony. He is a good-looking chap; they’ll all be after him!”
“I don’t believe there’s a woman in Ottinge under forty, and I never
saw a more hard-featured lot—never. You know I stayed in the
neighbourhood with the Davenants years ago.”
“Another thing—no one can take Owen for anything but a
gentleman!” and Sir Richard put up his glasses and surveyed his
niece, with an air as much as to say, “There’s a poser!”
“Oh yes. He has only to show his hands, worn with manual labour,
and I’ll tell him to grow his hair long, wear gaudy ties, and hold his
tongue.”
“Well, have your own way! But, as sure as I’m a living sinner, harm
will come of this mad idea; it’s nothing more or less than play-acting.
He’d much better have gone on the stage when he was about it.”
“Unfortunately, there’s one objection,—it is the most precarious of all
professions; for an amateur it would be hard work and no pay. In five
years Owen might, with great luck, be earning thirty shillings a week.
Oh, I’ve thought over no end of plans, I can assure you, Uncle Dick,
and the chauffeur scheme is by far the most promising.”
“Of course you always get the better of me in talk; but I’ve my own
opinion. You and Owen will make a fine hash of his affairs between
you. Bear in mind that I won’t have the Wynyard name made little of
in a stinking garage. He is not to use it, or to let any one know he is a
Wynyard, and that’s flat; and you can tell him that, as sure as he
takes service as Owen Wynyard, I’ll marry—and to that I stick!” and
with this announcement, and a very red face, he snatched up his hat
and departed.
Sir Martin Kesters, on the other hand, saw nothing derogatory in his
brother-in-law’s employment, and warmly applauded the scheme. At
twenty-six Owen should be learning independence; moreover, it was
his wife’s plan, and, in his opinion, everything she said or did was
right. “I think it’s a sound scheme,” he said. “If money is wanted,
Leila, you know where to get it.”
“No, no; Owen has a little, and he must not touch a halfpenny that he
has not earned—it’s in the bond; and he will have nothing to spend
money on down there. I don’t believe there’s a billiard-table or a pack
of cards in the place.”
“The typical hamlet, eh? Half a dozen cottages, a pump, and an idiot
—poor devil!”
“Owen or the idiot?”
“Both. All the same, Leila, I feel sure that, now you’ve taken Owen in
hand, he will come out on top.”
Wynyard fell in with everything, without question or argument, and
cheerfully accepted his sister’s arrangements, with the exception of
the ties. He drew the line at an orange satin with green spots, or
even a blue with scarlet horse-shoes.
No, he declared, nothing would induce him to be seen in them; he
was always a quiet dresser. He could wear a muffler, hold his
tongue, or even drop his h’s if necessary; but he barred making an
object of himself, and suggested that she should offer the discarded
ties as a birthday present to Payne.
“He’d give notice. Payne, in his unprofessional kit, looks like a chief
justice. Well, I won’t insist on the ties, but you must promise to be
very countrified and dense. You know you can take off any one’s way
of talking in the most remarkable way, and do Uncle Richard to the
life!”
“One of my rare accomplishments; and as to being dense, why, it’s
my normal condition.”
“Oh yes, you may joke! But I do hope you won’t let the cat out of the
bag, Owen, or allow any one to suspect that ‘things are not what
they seem!’ I wonder how you will manage in the kitchen and
stables, and if you will be unmasked?”
“Well, I promise to do my best to pick up the local manners and
patois, and, my dear Leila, you appear to forget that for the last year
I’ve lived among a very mixed lot, and got on all right.”
“Got on all right!” she cried. “How can you say so? when you told me
yourself that you had half killed a man! However, as you and I are
confederates in this most risky enterprise, I feel sure you will do your
utmost for my sake. Think of the uproar and scandal if Miss Parrett
were to discover that you were my brother—late of Eton College and
the Red Hussars. Explanation would be impossible; I should be
compelled to flee the country!”
 CHAPTER VI
FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The train which bore Wynyard to his situation was slow, and lingered
affectionately at every station; nevertheless he enjoyed the leisurely
journey. He was glad to be in England once more! His eyes feasted
greedily on the long stretches of quiet, secluded country, nice
hunting fences, venerable villages crowding round a church steeple,
and stately old halls buried in hollows, encompassed by their woods.
The afternoon was well advanced when he saw “Catsfield” on a
large board staring him in the face, and, realising that he had
reached his destination, seized his bag, sprang out, and went in
search of his luggage—a corded tin box of a remarkably vivid yellow.
His sister had insisted upon this, instead of his old battered
portmanteau, as a part of his disguise. A portmanteau, she declared,
would give him away at once! For, no matter how dilapidated and
travel-stained, a portmanteau conferred a certain position upon its
owner!
There were but two people on the platform of the forlorn little station,
which seemed to have no business and no belongings, but had, as it
were, sat down helplessly to rest in the middle of a sweeping plain of
pasture.
Outside the entrance no cabs or vehicles were to be seen, merely an
unpainted spring-cart drawn by a hairy bay mare. In reply to the
traveller’s inquiries, the porter said—
“Oh no, there’s no call for flies here, sir, no work for ’em; the cart was
sent for a man-servant, and he ain’t come. To Ottinge? Yes, sir, he’d
take your luggage, I dessay, and you, too, if you wouldn’t despise
driving with him.”
“I wouldn’t despise driving with any one; but, as I’m rather stiff and
dusty, I’ll walk. You say Ottinge is four miles across the fields and
seven by the road.” “Here,” addressing the driver in the cart, “if you
are going to Ottinge, will you take my bag and box, and I’ll give you a
shilling?”
“All right, master; ’eave ’em in, Pete. Where to, sir?”
“Miss Parrett’s, the Manor;” then, turning to the porter, “can you point
me out the short-cut?”
“Yes, sir, straight over the fields. First you go along this ’ere road to
the left, down a lane, then over the water-meadows and a wooden
bridge—ye can see the spire of Ottinge Church, and if you steer to
that, you can’t go far out. Thank you,” touching his cap in
acknowledgment of sixpence.
As the stranger moved off with an even, swinging stride, the two men
stared after him with a gape of astonishment.
“I’m jiggered if I don’t believe that’s the motor chap after all!” said the
driver; “why, he looks like a regular toff, and talks high. I was bid to
fetch a young man, so I was, but there was no word of a gentleman
—and I know he’s boarding at Sally Hogben’s.”
“It’s a queer start,” agreed the porter; “he’s a likely looking fellow. I
expect he’ll make rare work among the maids!” as his eyes followed
the active figure in tweeds and leather gaiters, till it was lost to sight
round a bend in the road.
“That soort o’ chap won’t be long with them two old women, you may
take your oath. Lor’ bless ye, he’d cut his throat! Why, you haven’t a
good glass o’ beer nor a pretty girl in the parish.”
“I’m none so sure o’ that!” retorted the driver, giving the bay a smack
with the reins, preparatory to starting; “there’s a fair tap at the Drum,
and a couple o’ rare pretty faces in our church.”
“Is that so? I’m not to say busy on Sunday—one down and one up—
and maybe I’ll just step over and have a look at ’em.”
“Eh, ye might go furder and fare worse! Well, I’m off,” and he rattled
away in his clumsy cart, with the gay new box for its only load.
It was about four o’clock on a lovely afternoon in April; the air was
sweet and stimulating, and the newcomer was conscious of a sense
of exhilaration and satisfaction, as he looked across the stretch of
meadows lying in the sunlight.
Wynyard was country-bred, and the familiar sights and sounds
awakened pleasant memories. He noted the bleating of lambs, the
cries of plover, the hedges powdered with thorn, and the patches of
primroses. Everything was so rural and so restful—such a contrast to
the roar of London, the skimming taxis, the hooting and clanking of
motors, and the reek of petrol; he had stepped aside from the glare
and noise into a byway. As he strode along, steering steadily for the
church spire, his spirits rose with every step; he vaulted stiles, leapt
lazy little streams, and, coming to a river, which he crossed by a
rickety wooden bridge, found that he was within measurable distance
of his destination, and paused for a moment to survey it.
The village, which lay under the shelter of some low hills, was long
and straggling; red, hunched-up houses and high-roofed, black
barns had turned their backs on the pasture, and a hoary church,
with a high slated spire and surrounded by a bodyguard of trees,
stood sentry at one end of Ottinge-in-the-Marsh. At the other, and
almost opposite to where he had halted, was an ancient grey manor
house of considerable pretensions, set in creepers and encircled by
yew hedges. A stone-faced, sunk fence and a high wooden gate
separated him from this property, and, as far as he could judge, the
only way he could reach the village was by intruding into the
grounds. He looked up and down and could see nothing but a fence
abutting on the meadows, and, further on, the backyards and
gardens of the villagers. Like the thundering ass he was, he had lost
his way! He tried the wooden gate, found it padlocked, and vaulted
over—a bold trespasser! As he alighted, a little figure, which had
been stooping over a flower-bed, raised itself with a jerk, and he
found himself face to face with a bunchy old lady, trowel in hand.
She wore a short jacket made of Gordon tartan and a knitted hood
with shabby brown strings.
For a moment the two surveyed one another fixedly: she,
recognising that she was confronting a tall, handsome young man of
six or seven-and-twenty; he, that he was gazing at a little woman,
with grey hair worn in loops at either side of a flattish face which was
animated by a pair of quick, suspicious eyes—round and black as
those of a bird.
“There is no right-of-way through these grounds!” she announced, in
a high reedy voice, something like a child’s, but more authoritative;
and as she opened her mouth it was apparent that she was toothless
as a newborn babe.
“I’m awfully sorry,” said the interloper, cap in hand, “but I’m afraid I’ve
missed the footpath and lost my bearings. I want to get into the
village.”
“Well, you’re in the village here,” she answered tartly. “You’ve only to
go down that avenue,” pointing with her trowel; “the Drum is on the
left. I suppose you are come about the fishing?”
“Thank you—no—I’ve nothing to do with fishing.”
Once more he took off his cap. She bowed from her waist as if it was
hinged, and again indicated his direction.
“The Manor?” echoed a yokel, in answer to Wynyard’s question;
“why,” with a grin, “yer just come out o’ it, mister!”
He accordingly retraced his steps down the short drive and rang at
the hall door, which was at the side of the dignified old house, and
over the lintel of which was the date, 1569, in deeply cut figures. A
smart parlour-maid answered the clanging bell, and stared in round-
eyed surprise.
“Can I see Miss Parrett?” he asked; “my name is Owen. I’m the new
chauffeur.”
“The chauffeur!” she repeated, with incredulous emphasis. “Oh!—If
you will just step inside, I’ll let her know;” and, tripping before him
down a long, resounding, flagged passage—which seemingly ran the
length of the house—she ushered him into a low-pitched room, with
heavy oak beams, and mullioned windows facing south, overlooking
the meadows he had recently crossed—a vast, spreading stretch of
flat country outlined by a horizon of woods—possibly those of some
great demesne.
“I’ll tell Miss Parrett,” said the maid, as, with a lingering look at the
new arrival, she closed the door.
The chauffeur awaited an interview for some time, as it took Miss
Parrett at least ten minutes to recover her amazement, and invest
herself with becoming dignity. That man the chauffeur! Why, she had
actually mistaken him for a gentleman; but, of course, in these
socialistic days, the lower orders dressed and talked like their
betters; and she registered a mental vow to keep the creature firmly
in his place. The fact that she had supposed her new chauffeur to be
a visitor who rented the fishing, was an error she never forgave
herself—and the origin of her secret animosity to Wynyard.
The room into which he had been ushered was heavily wainscoted in
oak; the chimneypiece, a most beautiful specimen of carving—but
some ignorant hand had painted the whole with a sickly shade of
pea-green! Various tables and chairs, which had seen better days,
were scattered about; it was not a show apartment, but evidently the
retreat where people did all sorts of odd jobs. A coil of picture wire,
curtain rings, and a pile of chintz patterns, were heaped on the round
centre table, and a stack of wall-papers littered the floor. A snug,
sunny, cheerful sort of den, which would make an A1 smoking-room.
Precisely as the chauffeur arrived at this opinion, the door was flung
open, and Miss Parrett ambled in.
“So you are my new chauffeur!” she began, in a shrill voice, as she
surveyed him with an air of acrid self-assertion.
“Yes, ma’am,” and Owen, as he looked at her, was conscious of a
nascent antagonism.
“Your name, I understand, is Owen. What’s your christian name?”
He coloured violently. What was his christian name?
“St. John,” he answered, after a momentary hesitation. (It was his
second name.) “That is—I mean to say—John.”
“St. John, what affectation! Of course it’s John—plain John. I’ve
engaged you on the recommendation of my friend, Lady Kesters.
She says you are steady, efficient, and strictly sober,” looking him up
and down; “she mentioned you were smart—I suppose she meant
your clothes, eh?”
Wynyard made no reply, but kept his gaze fixed steadily on a crack
in the floor, and the old woman continued—
“Of course Lady Kesters knows you personally?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I hope I shall find you satisfactory and experienced.”
“I hope so, ma’am.”
“And not above your place—ahem!”—clearing her throat—“I have
recently purchased a most beautiful motor, and I engaged you to
drive it, and take great care of it; it is lined with real morocco leather,
and cost, second-hand, five hundred pounds.” As she paused for a
moment to see if he was properly impressed, he repeated his
parrot’s cry of—
“Yes, ma’am.”
“My sister and I propose to use it for paying calls at a distance. You
must drive very slowly and carefully, and keep the car in perfect
order, and spotlessly clean.”
“I’ll do my best, ma’am,” he assented.
“Your wages will be, from to-day, two guineas a week. You will live in
the village. We have arranged for you to board with a most
respectable woman, and trust you will give her as little trouble as
possible, and we shall expect to see you in church at least once on
Sunday. You may join the Young Men’s Christian Association, and
the choir—and——”
But here he interrupted.
“Excuse me, ma’am, but I don’t think there’s anything about church
attendance and singing in our agreement. Sunday, I presume, will be
my day off, and I shall be glad of some exercise.”
“You never mean to tell me you don’t go to church?” she demanded,
fixing him with her little beady eyes; “as to exercise, you will get
plenty of that in the week—doing odd jobs and going messages. We
are only here about six months, and not nearly settled yet.”
“I,” he was about to add, “go to church when I please;” but at this
critical moment the door again opened, and another lady, much
younger than his inquisitor, entered briskly. She had a long thin face,
a kindly expression, and a pair of bright blue eyes which opened to
their widest extent as she looked at Wynyard.
“I heard our new chauffeur had come,” she began, rather
breathlessly.
“My chauffeur, Susan, if you please,” corrected Miss Parrett, “seeing
that I am paying his wages and he is to drive my car.”
Miss Susan coloured faintly, and answered with a nervous laugh—
“Yes, yes, dear, of course—of course.”
“His name is Owen—John Owen—and I have been telling him of his
duties, and how we only require to be driven about the country
quietly—no dashing, no racing, no touring.”
“Yes, my dear sister, that is all very well for you who are nervous; but
I do love motoring, and I hope this young man will take me for miles,
and let me see something of the country. I wish you would come with
us, Bella, won’t you?”
“I don’t require you to invite me to use my own car, Susan,” rejoined
Bella, with crushing dignity. Wynyard gathered that an increase of
riches had not been to the moral advantage of Miss Parrett, and felt
sorry for her snubbed relation; but Susan, a valiant soul, took what
the gods had given her or withheld, with extraordinary philosophy,
was never offended, envious, or out of temper, and recovered from
these humiliations with the elasticity of an indiarubber ball.
“You left London early?” said Miss Parrett, turning to him.
“Yes, ma’am, at nine o’clock.”
Susan started at the sound of his voice; he spoke like a gentleman!