Publishing

Tune into live conversations with authors, editors, and literary agents sharing their journeys and expertise in the world of publishing.

Screenwriting

Watch live panels featuring screenwriters as they break down their techniques for crafting compelling scripts and navigating the entertainment industry.

Filmmaking

Discover live streaming events where directors, producers, and cinematographers discuss the creative and technical processes behind their films.

Finding Your Niche: Buck Trends to Build a Career with Purpose

June 24, 2026
Zach Bandler will offer a practical framework for identifying the thematic lane you’re uniquely positioned to explore, and connecting that work to communities, institutions, and ecosystems that are actively seeking those stories. Attendees will learn how to move beyond chasing traditional industry pathways and instead build a personal storytelling identity that attracts collaborators, funding, and audiences. Because the goal isn’t to do everything. It’s to do something that only you can do, and build a career around it.

Book Pipeline

Book Pipeline connects writers to publishers, agents, and the film industry through competitions and workshops, providing hands-on support to bridge the gap between emerging authors and the industry since 2014.

Script Pipeline

Script Pipeline connects writers with producers, agents, and managers, facilitating over $8 million in sales through competitions and ongoing industry support, helping launch major films and secure high-profile representation since 1999.

Film Pipeline

Film Pipeline connects filmmakers and writers with agencies and executives, focusing on diverse storytelling and playing an active role in developing and promoting projects, reviewing thousands of submissions annually since its launch in 2018.

Leila Siddiqui

Leila Siddiqui is a Senior Manager of Digital Strategy at DK, a division of Penguin Random House. She previously worked for Simon & Schuster and Dutton, and is a freelance book marketer on Reedsy. Her titles range from romance, historical fiction and contemporary fiction to nonfiction such as memoirs, travel, history, and popular science. She has worked on titles by such New York Times bestselling authors as B. Dylan Hollis, Ian Bremmer, Lisa Gardner, Daniel Levitin, the artist Halsey, and Sean Carroll. Leila is also a writer whose next gothic horror novel, The Glowing Hours, released in 2026. 

Host of 3 Events

Marketing the Big 5 Way
November 5, 2025
Leila Siddiqui has spent ten years working in marketing in two of the Big 5 publishers and will walk you through what to expect when the book has passed acquisitions and finds a publishing date. Whether you’ve self-published, on the editor submission journey with your agent, or a seasoned traditional author, there’s always something to learn about the publishing process from an insider.

Step-by-Step Guide to Indie Publishing Success
January 24, 2023
Three for the price of two—In this exclusive three-part series, our speakers share advice for the authors who want to jump into indie publishing. Our industry professionals guide you from getting your book professionally edited, to a deep-dive explanation of the self-publishing process, to how to market your book.

Marketing for Indie Authors
April 13, 2022
How do you spread the word about your book and get it in readers' hands? Leila Siddiqui, a book marketer at Simon & Schuster, can help you understand book marketing basics with tips, insights, and suggestions on where to start and how to get organized.

Education for creators.

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Upcoming Events

Finding Your Niche: Buck Trends to Build a Career with Purpose

June 24, 2026
Zach Bandler will offer a practical framework for identifying the thematic lane you’re uniquely positioned to explore, and connecting that work to communities, institutions, and ecosystems that are actively seeking those stories. Attendees will learn how to move beyond chasing traditional industry pathways and instead build a personal storytelling identity that attracts collaborators, funding, and audiences. Because the goal isn’t to do everything. It’s to do something that only you can do, and build a career around it.

The Plot Wheel: More than Just Structure

July 15, 2026
The Plot Wheel is more than a structure—it’s a storytelling engine designed to create connection, momentum, and reader satisfaction. In this engaging presentation, Court Stevens breaks down the eight essential movements of story into a clear, repeatable framework that helps writers move from idea to fully realized narrative. Writers will gain the power to intentionally shape both the emotional journey and the commercial appeal of their work.

Commercially Driven Decisions: Being Intentional with Story Choices

July 22, 2026
The Commercially Driven Choices session by Court Stevens reveals what separates stories that are simply well-written from those that truly connect and sell. This dynamic session unpacks the strategic decisions writers must make to increase reader engagement—focusing on transformation, satisfaction, opposition, scope, and consumability as the core drivers of commercial storytelling.

Latest Streaming

The Art of the Thrill: Essentials for Writing Exciting Thrillers

June 17, 2026
In this session, thriller-award-winning author Lauren Nossett will break down the architecture of a gripping story. She’ll discuss how to raise the stakes, design layered characters, and craft suspense. 

Beyond the Happy Ending: The Psychology of the Rom Com

June 10, 2026
This course digs into the psychology behind why romantic comedies work so well on us—the attachment science behind the slow burn, the dopamine hit of the first kiss, and what our favorite on-screen relationships say about what we actually want in real life. This journey through the tropes and the psychology of the genre will aid the way you write and cause you to think twice about the lessons we have taken away about love.

The Anatomy of Representation: Everything You Need to Know

June 3, 2026
Screenwriting career coach Lee Jessup explores the representation landscape to determine what type of representation is right for you, and identify the requirements and all-important next steps you should take to build a lasting career-spanning relationship with the right rep that will help make the difference in your career. 

Symposium, presented by Pipeline Artists, is a year-round virtual conference empowering creatives with honest, no-nonsense guidance across the arts. Through seminars, industry panels, and Town Hall discussions on screenwriting, filmmaking, publishing, and career-building, Symposium offers grounded advice from working professionals to help you forge your own unique path.

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