Polly,

It is even more segmented that that. Up until around 1964, there were specifically lyricists and composers. You didn't find anyone who did both. In addition, when you were doing things like Broadway, television or movies, there also was a librettist, which was a third person who would do the script and how the songs all worked in together.If you think of movies like the Wizard of Oz, Singing in the Rain, that was usually required.

When people like Bob Dylan came in, it was the beginning of the self contained writers/artist. Then in 64' the Beatles came in and changed every aspect of the game. From there on out everyone pretty much did both.

In Nashville you will have people who might excell at one or the other, but in the real music business there aren't really any such thing as lyric only's or melody only songs. They are written and nothing is left just floating around.

And when someone has the same product as everyone else, and only half finished in the eyes of the industry, it is doubtful someone are going to go to any trouble to "pay" for something everyone has too much of in the first place.

What it leads to are the "Set your poems to music" scams that are always out there.

The best way is to meet a lot of writers, share information and write a lot of songs. That is the way business is done. There are no real short cuts or "secret passages" around that.

MAB