The decision to write the book to alleviate the anger and nausea I felt about Trump’s election was easy. I also can adopt a somewhat natural comic look at terrible situations, the ability to laugh to keep from crying.

Robert Trebor – 31 May 2020

The Back Flap

Robert Trebor, an accomplished character actor widely recognized for his roles in the cult hit series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess, offers valuable insights and an opportunity to laugh at the absurdity of the situation in which we find ourselves in his new book, The Haircut Who Would Be King, a satire about the Donald J. Trump presidency.

About the book

What is the book about?

The book is a satire about Trump and Putin, their unlikely rise to power, their unusual relationship, and the characters who support and suborn them.  Kirkus calls it “A hilarious rendering of the contemporary political scene,” and I wouldn’t disagree.

When did you start writing the book?

I started thinking about writing the book in March of 2017, and started the actual writing in June.

How long did it take you to write it?

It took four months for the first draft, then I rewrote and pared it down substantially over the next four months.  I wanted to give the reader a nice brisk read.

Where did you get the idea from?

The idea is from the misbegotten history of Trump’s personal and business dealings, and his behavior during and after the 2016 election.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Not really.  Once I had the characters in play, the plot kind of worked out according to the wacky decisions they all made.

What came easily?

The decision to write the book to alleviate the anger and nausea I felt about Trump’s election was easy.  I also can adopt a somewhat natural comic look at terrible situations, the ability to laugh to keep from crying.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

I think the real-world models for the characters will be pretty obvious to most people.  The totally fictitious characters seem to me like they’d gravitate to the main players.

Do you have a target reader?

Anyone who is disgusted by Trump’s reign of error, and the shills and lapdogs who keep pumping up his egomania, and needs a humorous tonic for that disgust is a target.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

​The process for this book was to get the characters clearly delineated first.  I’d write bios for them, and their relationship to Trump or Putin.  Then I’d place them in various situations.

The fact that I thought about the book for three months before I started writing was very helpful.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

No, I don’t outline.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I write everyday while I’m working. I put everything down in my head onto the paper.  I’ll read what I’ve written the following day, and if it totally stinks, I’ll discard it.  But if it works, I don’t fine tune it until I’m finished.

Did you hire a professional editor?

No, but I have people I trust for editorial advice.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

Nope, but I did have cable news on while I was writing.

Sometimes it provided inspiration.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

Yes, and there was some interest.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

The agents said if this were to go the traditional publishing route, my advance wouldn’t be great and the publication date would probably be later than I’d like.  I wanted this to come out well before the 2020 presidential election.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

I had it professionally designed based on my creative direction.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I’ve hired a publicity person to set up signings and media coverage, and I went to Kirkus, Readers’ Favorite, and The San Francisco Book Review for blurbs (which were very positive) to put on the book jacket.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

If you have confidence in the quality of your work, you should invest money in producing it and getting it out to the public.

About You

Where did you grow up?

Philadelphia, PA

Where do you live now?

Los Angeles.

What would you like readers to know about you?

​I’ve been a character actor for 45 years; you can see my credits on iMBD.  Two notable roles were The Son Of Sam opposite Martin Sheen in Out Of The Darkness, and Salmoneus the merchant in the Xena and Hercules TV shows. Playing both a psychopath and a salesman was very helpful in writing a satire about Trump.

What are you working on now?

I have another book, And They Pay You For That: An Actor’s Unreliable Memoir, for which I’m trying to get a traditional publishing contract.

End of Interview:

For more from Robert Trebor visit his website and follow him on Twitter.

Get your copy of The Haircut Who Would Be King from Amazon US or Amazon UK.