Dana,

It's what most people do and why YOU TUBE, and FACEBOOK are the biggest movers and shakers in the industry. and why everyone is trying to get those and things like TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and whatever the trend of the second is doing, to work for them. Why companies and individuals spend BILLIONS of dollars advertising on those platforms. Since most everything is FREE, that is what they are making. Very weird world.

As I have said on almost all my posts, I would suggest people QUIT being so monetarily focused when it comes to art. Do what you do. Enjoy what you do. Spend what you feel you can afford. Books, while important (I'm currently immersed in many) any form of education is helpful. But things like Art, music, painting, sculpting, whatever, is worth what YOU CAN GET PEOPLE TO PAY YOU FOR BEING YOU. If there is demand for what you do with the PURCHASING public, you may make money or at least not go broke. But most books and instructional things can be tossed out the window because no rules seem to apply anymore.

For me, it has always been about the PERSONAL interaction WITH OTHER PEOPLE, be those like minded individuals, other writers, organized or semi organized like minded groups, artists, and ultimately, the fan base for whatever that is, that makes the difference. It's more or less a shoe commercial, "JUST DO IT,."
If you want to learn about songwriting, work with others who know more than you. Physically write. And then try to be involved where the "rubber hits the road" with an artist, performing those songs in front of ACTUAL audiences.

All the books, courses, schooling, DVD';s, YOU TUBE, or whatever sites, pale in comparrison with that.
MAB