It's true.

This week I've "unofficially" launched my new Copywriters Blog brand-new blog network, a la "Web 2.0," and a sister site to my message board here at CopywritersBoard.com.

But it will be more than just a blog. It's going to be a blog network. More like an online "magazine" of sorts for copywriters. And very much like the many blogging networks you see out there.

You can take a sneak peek at it here:
Copywriters Blog

(I've been designing it and coding it, almost from scratch. Tons of stuff in the background that's going to optimize traffic, create a lot of popularity and "buzz," and offer content from a variety of sources. Also a great traffic generator for the respective websites of the blog's contributors.)

Like many of the blog networks on the web these days -- which are growing rapidly -- I want to have multiple authors posting to one blog, with full attribution, credit and a byline that will link to the author's site (or personal blog), or to do as they please.

This is not some "article" site. And I DON'T want this to be another "Fortin" focused site. Each author will have their own author's bio, portfolio, picture, links and whatnot.

(Including RSS-fed, i.e., linked headlines, from their own standalone blog, or links to their website, if they have one and if they wish to do so.)

Authors who have agreed to become regular contributors include David Garfinkel, Gary Halbert, John Carlton, Jim Edwards, Ray Edwards, Andy and Shawn Catsimanes, Alan Forrest Smith, Zachary Romero, John Angel, John Ritskowitz, Troy White, Mike Morgan, and several others.

But I don't want this to be a free-for-all, either. It's a blog, not a directory or a sales site. As contributors, I want copywriters who are friends of mine, who I respect and whose work I know, to contribute valuable content.

And that may include YOU.

(I'll come back to this.)

I simply want to create a copywriters "hangout" blog made from, contributed by and written for copywriters. Like tips, tricks, articles, news, and resources of all kinds. Even personal stuff and news from each author's corner of the world.

In other words, it can be personal or professional, too. It can be a two-sentence notice one day, or a 500-word article on another.

It doesn't matter.

I will be contributing too and promote the heck out of it. It's purpose is manifold. First, it's a tool I will be using for testing advertising, SEO and placement (since this is an editorial-like, ad-supported blog, not a direct sales or affiliate site).

Specifically, I want to create a case study in blog "networks" for my Internet marketing students, especially with this whole "Web 2.0" trend (i.e., interactivity, social bookmarking, "buzz" creation, rating systems, user-submitted content and comments, etc), and I thought this would be a perfect opportunity.

Would you like to submit your article?

You can. Simply visit the "contribute" page:
Contribute To This Blog » Copywriters Blog

If approved, your article will be published on the blog as an ad-hoc contributor. (If you wish to become a regular contributor, then let me know at the link above.)

If you get copywriting freelance work as a result of the blog, or sales of your products from posting on the blog, that's all yours. I don't want a single dime from that.

And copyrights are shared, as I don't want to own and shackle your content. You can do whatever you want with your posts.

But there's more.

This blog will be heavily linked from other networks and blog directories (over 3,000 in the next week or so), with promotions, press releases, PR campaigns, etc.

So it will get PR5 status within just 2-3 weeks, with tons of traffic that, depending on how often you blog, funneling to your your sites. So it will bring a lot of exposure.

If you want some great examples, check out some of the popular Web 2.0 blogs out there, like EnGadget, Performacing, BoingBoing, MySpace, TechCrunch, BloggingPro, Digital-Web, b5media, etc.

Unlike some of the larger networks though, I don't want 20 authors or more. I just want 5-7 consistent authors who will treat this as their blog, too. (As well as occasional article submissions from ad-hoc contributors.)

(Consistent doesn't mean everyday, either.)

Thirdly, I also have some other, bigger plans. (But I'll leave it at that for now.)

How does the blog work?

There are several categories. The categories are separated into 3 master modules, with subcategories in each one.

For example, the first category is about copywriting concepts (like scarcity, storytelling, USPs, tricks, formulas, concepts, etc). The next one is about copywriting elements (such as headlines, offers, bullets, guarantees, grabbers, etc).

The 3rd is a general module, and can be either personal or professional (like video, test results, Web 2.0, blogs, seminars, news, tidbits, resources, ideas, opinions, questions, polls, personal photos, etc).

I'm in the middle of creating the design (it's slick, with AJAX, and "Web 2.0-ish"). It will also have a calendar of events to which you can add (like seminars, product launches, news, etc).

(And there's more to it than that. But I'll stop here because I've already written and eyeful.)

Let me know if you're interested. Or send any questions my way, and I'll gladly answer them. I also highly suggest that you subscribe by either using the RSS feed or entering your email address (at the top-right corner) to be notified when new posts are made.

Let me know.

Again, go and get acquainted with the blog right now:
Copywriters Blog

Thanks!

Michel,
Your brain is always clicking with great ideas...

Let us know if there is anything we can do to help (like getting the word out).

Michel,

Very cool!

John

Michel,

I love this idea! Great job.

Deb