[SnowingXIV]

This is hitting it on the head. A lot of clients don't want to provide their own content and spend time filling out headings and searching for images, sure some do but mostly they are focusing on their business and while yes they are the ones closest to the metal, actually doing the work, they aren't and likely shouldn't be doing the copywriting. Speak with them, figure out as much as you can about them, take notes, and get a copywriter like you said.

More often this goes pretty smoothly and they'll review the website quickly and will send corrections like "Oh, you should add this sentence." or "Don't say that, remove it." I usually do a few pieces and make sure the tone is on point and then take that new information to flesh out the rest of the site.

It's a lot easier for them to edit a "complete" product than to see a blank canvas and have to figure out what goes where.