After you have a literary agent....?

You sign your agreement with the agent for (usually) six months, and after that, you can part ways upon, like, 30 days notice. But as you are imagining that the agent did a good job and sold your first book, then you'll keep them informed of your progress and, when the next book is finished, send it to them. Then, if all goes well, they'll send it to the same publisher who published your last one, and you're started on a career.

Of course, if your next book is terrible your agent may dump you. And if your agent turns into a crazy person, or retires, or decided not to represent your genre any more, you may dump him/her. But it is assumed that once you have done a successful deal with an agent the two of you are together for a while.

This is what I've heard from several authors, so this is not first hand experience. Usually, before an agent offers you rep, she'll ask what other books you have in mind to write. Usually these questions are a guide to how you see your career as an author, etc. Of course, you also should ask your agent questions to make sure you're both on the same page about your book and what you want for your career. You will usually pitch ideas to your agent and they'll help you decide which book is best to write next and also they can give you suggestions on how to make your book better, so it's always a good idea to talk it over with your agent to see what she thinks. And there are some authors who switch agents if they feel their current agent can't help further their career. You're never stuck with the same agent and if you feel that it's time to move on and find a different or better agent then you can, and I know of writers who have gone through a handfull of agents. Also, the agent can dump you, too. Your best bet is to read some author blogs, many talk about their publishing experiences. Try to find newer authors who and not authors who have dozens of books published. I've found that newer authors are more open about their experiences with agents and publishers.

If you think your book is complete crap and no publisher will ever touch it you can self publish it!