Thanks all. Now we are getting somewhere. At least it is food for thought for all writers. GET YOUR STUFF PLAYED LIVE Is the message. If you cannot or will not play it yourself then get someone else to do it. Bob had a great point about a road test. I would never dream of demoing until I have played it live. Save a lot of time money and effort. Sadly Al's point about fewer live gigs rings all too true. But what the heck maybe if more original music was played live then we could "open" more venues.
One final thought instead of chasing rainbows with the big boys pitch your songs to a local band or artist. They will perform your music to local audiences and announce it as your song. It is a stepping stone and will gain YOU experience and a possible following or fan base. They might even record it. Make sure you have a contract or whatever to protect yourself and your music.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=687727&songID=5238055