HN, but where you are contacted (for instance, monthly Seeking Freelancer post), not the other way around. Pretty much every source where the kind of jobs you're talking about are posted are a race to the bottom.
tx for input, I wasn't aware of the "Seeking Freelancer" post. as for the race to the bottom, idk, I just know that not all clients look for the cheapest work
You're right, they don't, but when a job post is public, it's an absolute flood of bids and submissions, and can be overwhelming to sort through to find the quality. That's why the best clients are the ones who solicit freelancers and don't make those listings public.