Michelle,
To find what you are looking for in a writer (lower investment,
possibly high return on that investment) you might try a few advertising agencies...searching for that writer getting his/her feet wet. This writer would have a senior editor "looking over their shoulder", and you can obtain a lower cost using that route and still get a good result.
In reading your stories here...it seems as though you have run into a couple (few?) writers that are the exception rather than the rule (big egos, bad service, slacking when it comes to extra work, etc...).
So the question is...
Are your expectations of investment needed to quality expected in the finished assignment reasonable? (i.e. you have limited funds, as most business owners do, but want the clean - polished -
results delivering copy that seasoned copywriters produce?)
Please don't take that the wrong way.
I have hired people to do website work, and gotten mixed results. The funny thing is, when I paid the BIG money (yeah right) I got
better results for my site appearance (not yet what I expect).
Most writers (myself included) provide excellent return for your invested dollar and GREAT service following the project. Nope, I am not an inexpensive investment. But I am a MASTER of overdelivering in what I do.
Enough about me though.
What about your project? Is this something that you are continuing to pursue? I ask because I do know of a few budding copywriters looking to start their writing careers, and might be willing to be more flexible on investment.
PM me if you are interested.