If you are looking for some upfront freelance gigs that pays a decent per-hour rate, then you may want to apply at ECopywriters.com. Here is what their website says about pay:

"Our compensation is based on how many projects you take. A normal copywriter can earn up to $20.00 - $25.00 per hour by taking basic writing projects. We have 10 levels of writers in our system, where Level 10 copywriters can earn as much as $0.30 cents per word based on experience and time spent copywriting for us."

Not bad considering that many sites like this one pay $3-$15 per article.  I think I may apply here to replace my old stand-by Demand Media Studios. It would be nice to be able to go to a better paying site when my other freelance work slows down.