Write prolifically. Many songwriters make the mistake of composing a handful of songs and spend years trying to get them noticed. Build up a robust body of work that showcases different writing styles and your diversity as an artist.
Record and polish a series of demos of songs. You need to get your work heard before you can start earning a living from your music. It's possible to put together professional sounding tracks at home on your computer with an audio editing program if you can't afford the hourly rate of a professional studio.
Set up social media profiles online to make contact with record labels, local venues and other artists. Approach groups and forums that are geared towards the genre and style of music you write and post examples of your writing for like-minded people to listen to. Also go to local bars, clubs and venues that play the style of music you write to build up contacts and send your work to online and offline music magazines for review.
Play live as mush as possible. Even if you start off playing for free or for a very small fee, playing live is great way to build a grass roots fan base for your material and generate a buzz.
Approach an established manager or agent. Succeeding in the music industry is very much about who you know. A professional manager should have years of experience of dealing with record labels, venues and publishing companies and can really give you a head start in the business. A manager will cost you money, but they'll only take you on if they're confident that they'll make a profit out of your work themselves. Paying 10 percent of a healthy income to a manger is much better than keeping 100 percent of nothing.
Send your work to radio stations and enter songwriting competitions. You won't see an immediate monetary return for your efforts -- although you may be paid royalties if your music is played on a major station -- but the right person might hear your songs.
Submit your work to other artists, independent filmmakers and advertising agencies. It's possible to make a very comfortable living off of publishing royalties earned from writing for other people or having your work included in the soundtrack to a film or in an advertisement. If you have the time, consider producing work to pitch to third parties outside of the record industry.