It looks to me like the main grey area of freelance writing online is whether or not you are actually hiring a real person. I am going to call this the 'Pinocchio Phase', because it seems employers can't help but wonder if the person they have just hired is actually a real boy...
No. I am NOT made of Lego. And I'm not a boy either I'll have you know. Though, speaking of Lego, I do need some solid work at the moment...
However, I do get a consistent vibe when browsing through a chunk of online freelance profiles that a lot of contenders seem fake. Processed. Just altogether devoid of the human touch that writing should offer. This goes for UK sites as well as American, Australian and international ones. A bulk of the people offering their services on their just seem so robotic.
What I imagine the client really wants is a relationship with a copywriter or creative agency that feels like they're dealing with genuine people that were delivered from a womb.
The focus should be on PEOPLE, not the transaction.
I believe totally that when it comes to sharing your project with a stranger, you should at the very least feel like they have a heartbeat. Remember - it is that very heart that will infuse your project, website or brand with something unique.
Whitney. (a live person)