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Obviously you need some type of skill set, when it comes to writing lyrics. Some are highly adept at this, while others don't have any concept of lyric writing principles - they write what sounds good. So, there are two schools of thought here. I would say, even if you don't know much about lyric writing, you most definitely need to have some potential.
There are college classes you can take. The most obvious being Berklee. Below mentioned is the link for their songwriting online course:
http://www.berkleemusic.com/song.
Lyric writing varies in style, depending on the genre you write for. Country is very formula oriented and tends to have a major story telling vibe, with a twist on words. Lyrics are everything in country music. It's a big deal.
Most songwriters tend to gravitate towards a style they are good at. Figure that out and approach other songwriters and even bands/music artists and pitch your services. Trust me, there is no shortage of people out there looking for a good lyricist. Some songwriters can write music all day long, but can't come up with words. Elton John for instance, is one of those artists.