They started out sharing everything from best practice tips to worst client experiences over potluck dinners. Informal conversations led to serious discussions at a local Caribou Coffee. Now six veteran freelance copywriters have launched Copyopolis.com, an innovative marketing venture developed to serve the needs of agencies and corporations with a unique, online resource for experienced writing talent. Following a soft intro last year, the group is aggressively promoting the site with a six-part direct mail campaign currently featured on the Copyopolis home page.

The half-dozen colleagues - Peter Bowerman, Kathy Couch, Georgia Dzurica, Paul Glickstein, Steven Knapp and Barbara Wilkes - are all established Atlanta freelancers sharing a wide range of print, broadcast and new media experience (as the site claims, "from retail to real estate, travel to technology, web sites to white papers"). Each of these broad-based writers promotes project specialties as well, and several have teamed up on larger assignments.

The Copyopolis site provides brief introductions to each member of the versatile group, their B2B and B2C industry experience, client histories, contact information and links to online portfolios. Joining the writers in their virtual village are "neighbors" and collaborators Leslie Line, designer, and Jim DiVitale, photographer/photo illustrator.