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KDP Book Stuck in Review — Diagnose and Fix Delays

kdp book stuck in review

Estimated reading time: 13 minutes

Key takeaways

  • Most delays are normal: KDP review commonly takes 3–10 business days; longer waits usually mean rights checks, quality flags, or platform glitches.
  • Diagnose first: check email and Quality Notifications, verify files and metadata, and document the title’s identifiers before contacting KDP.
  • Practical fixes: wait the official window, correct flagged problems, re-upload if needed, and escalate with clear evidence when review hangs.
  • Wider distribution and automation reduce repeat workload: use multi-platform tools to batch-upload and avoid repeated manual submissions.
  • If you publish seriously, an automated upload service pays for itself by saving time, cutting errors, and making distribution practical.

Table of Contents

Overview: what “stuck in review” really means

Seeing “In Review” or “Publishing” for longer than you expected is frustrating. When a kdp book stuck in review, you want to know whether it’s a routine check, a formatting or rights problem, or a glitch. Amazon’s official guidance sets a typical review window of a few business days up to about two weeks for complex cases. Community reports show some titles linger longer, and the causes usually fall into three buckets: legitimate extended checks, quality or rights flags, or platform glitches.

If you need the official timeline or troubleshooting steps, the Amazon KDP Review Delays page explains the stated review windows and what flags can extend them. While you wait, remember that a title “In Review” is locked for edits — changing files or metadata won’t move the status forward until review is complete. For more on this topic, see the Amazon KDP Review Delays page.

This article walks through how to diagnose a stalled submission, what practical steps to take, and how a multi-platform publishing workflow reduces that pain when you publish multiple titles. It also covers when to escalate and what to include in your support request so KDP can act quickly.

How to diagnose why your book is stuck

Start with email and the KDP dashboard. Amazon will normally notify you by email if they find a rights or content problem. Also check the Quality Notifications area inside your KDP account — it’s the place where formatting or cover issues show up.

  1. Timeline check
    New accounts, illustrated books, and complex formats (large page counts, images, or unusual trim sizes) often take longer.

    Expect 3–10 business days for a straightforward file; longer if rights verification or manual checks are needed.

    If your expectation is “a few hours,” you’re likely underestimating the normal window.

  2. Watch for KDP messages
    Quality and rights messages arrive by email and sometimes only appear in the dashboard.

    If you see an instruction (for example, “fix bleed” or “remove problematic content”), follow it exactly and re-upload.

  3. File and metadata review
    Common hang-ups come from file problems: corruputed PDF, missing embedded fonts, incorrect spine calculations for print, or bad EPUB structure.

    Metadata issues: identical ASIN/ISBN entered elsewhere, conflicting publisher data, or claims that suggest you don’t hold rights.

    If your workflow includes converting to EPUB, use a reliable tool and validate the file before upload; there are dedicated utilities — for example, an EPUB converter — that can automate validation and reduce rejections.

  4. Account and rights checks
    Books that require rights validation — public domain works, translations, or titles assigned to multiple territories — often trigger manual review.

    If you use metadata that lists a publisher different from the account holder, be ready to prove rights.

  5. Platform glitches
    Sometimes the dashboard or the submission pipeline shows no progress due to a technical bug: the file uploaded but the status never updates, or the book reverts to Draft.

    These glitches occasionally resolve themselves within hours, but persistent issues usually need human intervention.

Diagnose methodically: document the title name, ASIN or ISBN (if assigned), the submission date/time, screenshots of the dashboard, and copies of any emails from KDP. That packet will speed up support if you need to escalate.

Practical tip: before re-submitting, back up everything — original manuscript, exported EPUB or print-ready PDF, cover files, and metadata entered during submission. If you regularly produce books, consider a simple checklist that includes format validation steps and a final EPUB or PDF check so you don’t re-open the same issues with repeated uploads.

Practical fixes and what to expect when you contact KDP

  1. 1) Wait the normal window
    Give it the full published review window. Many cases that feel like an “endless kdp review loop” are still within policy, particularly during holidays or peak publishing periods.

    If you’ve published multiple times, you’ll learn where certain formats or file types slow things down.

  2. 2) Correct known issues promptly
    If KDP flags a formatting problem, fix and re-upload immediately.

    For print books, verify bleed, trim size, spine calculations, and font embedding.

    For ebooks, validate the EPUB and test it locally. If you need a faster validation step, use a reliable converter or validator; an EPUB converter can find common structure problems before upload.

    If cover problems are called out, regenerate using a tested process. If you’re producing many covers, an automated cover generator can produce consistent, KDP‑friendly files and save time.

  3. 3) Re-submit carefully
    If you re-submit, do it once you’ve fixed the root cause. Multiple rapid re-submissions without addressing the issue can complicate tracking.

    Note the time of re-submission and keep the previous version in your archive.

  4. 4) Contact KDP support when delays exceed the window
    If the status sits for days beyond the window and your checks show no flagged issues, open a support case.

    Provide a clear, concise packet: title name, ASIN/ISBN (if assigned), submission timestamps, screenshots, and a short list of steps you’ve already taken. That speeds triage. Ask for a status update and whether any manual checks are pending. Avoid vague statements; KDP works with identifiers and timestamps.

  5. 5) When a book reverts to Draft or shows a glitch
    Sometimes the system fails to complete the publishing step, or an eBook reverts to Draft after publishing. If this happens, re-upload once and if the problem persists, escalate with KDP.

    Include detailed evidence in the ticket: prior confirmation emails, screenshot of the “Published” state if you saw it, and the current Draft screenshot.

  6. 6) Know when to wait and when to escalate
    If KDP has emailed you about a rights or content issue, follow their instructions and re-submit. If there’s no message and the title stalls beyond the accepted window, escalate.

  7. 7) Practical example of a good support message
    One-sentence summary: “My eBook titled [Title] was submitted on [date/time] and has been ‘In Review’ since then.” Identifiers: ASIN/ISBN (if any). Files: “I uploaded an EPUB version validated by [tool] and a cover PNG 3000×4500; I’ve attached screenshots.” Steps taken: “Checked Quality Notifications, validated EPUB with [EPUB converter], corrected metadata, re-submitted once at [time].” Request: “Please confirm whether additional checks are pending and, if so, what I can supply to speed resolution.”

  8. 8) How multi-platform automation changes the game
    If you publish multiple titles or wide distribution across platforms, this problem multiplies. Re-uploading fixed files across Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, Draft2Digital, and Ingram is manual and repetitive. That’s where BookUploadPro‑style tools can help. A multi-platform publishing service automates repetitive uploads, validates platform-specific requirements, and batches your metadata and files with CSV feeds. For authors publishing at scale, that’s a meaningful time saver and error reducer: expect up to 90% time savings when you move from manual uploads to batch automation. The workflow also reduces the chance of introducing metadata errors across platforms.

  9. 9) Cover, EPUB, and file preparation — links that help
    Preparing clean files improves first-pass success on KDP. If you generate covers in-house, using a tested cover generator helps ensure the final PNG or PDF meets KDP requirements and avoids rejected uploads. When you convert manuscripts to EPUB, use a dedicated EPUB converter tool that checks structure and packaging before upload. If your workflow includes building paperback and ebook versions, lean on tools that automate creation and export, reducing manual steps and formatting errors. For example, you can use the cover generator, EPUB converter, and tools like Book creation tools to streamline production.

BookUploadPro and the practical author workflow

BookUploadPro automates the upload across Amazon KDP, Kobo, Apple Books, Draft2Digital, and Ingram. It centralizes metadata, supports CSV batch uploads, applies platform-specific intelligence to avoid common errors, and reduces the manual time spent on each title by roughly 90%. An affordable plan and free trial let authors test the process before committing, and when a title runs into a KDP review hang up, having a clean master and a single place to re-push fixes saves hours.

Final thoughts

A title that appears stalled in review usually resolves either after the official review window, by fixing a flagged issue, or with a clear support escalation. The practical routine is the same every time: diagnose, fix, document, and push the corrected master. If you publish more than a handful of books, an automation service that handles unified multi-platform publishing, CSV batch uploads, and platform-specific intelligence becomes an obvious upgrade. It saves time, cuts errors, and makes distribution practical.

When your next title hits a hang up, use a calm, methodical approach and keep the evidence handy for KDP support. And if you’re ready to remove repetitive uploads from your to-do list, visit BookUploadPro and try the free trial.

FAQ

Q: How long does KDP review usually take?

A: Typical review windows are 3–10 business days, but books that need rights checks, manual review, or have complex files may take longer.

Q: What if KDP asks me to fix formatting?

A: Follow the instruction exactly, validate the file locally, then re-upload. Keep old files backed up so you can compare versions if needed.

Q: My book is in review for weeks — should I contact support?

A: Yes. If the status doesn’t change after the official window and you have no Quality Notifications, open a support case with identifiers, timestamps, and screenshots.

Q: Can automation help when a book is stuck?

A: Automation won’t force KDP to finish a manual review, but it reduces the work required to correct and re-distribute files across platforms. For authors who publish multiple titles, automation prevents repeated mistakes and speeds resubmission.

Q: Do I lose sales if my book is stuck in review on KDP?

A: While the title is “In Review” it won’t be available for sale on Amazon. That’s why quick diagnosis and correct resubmission matter. Wider distribution via other platforms can sometimes mitigate lost visibility.

Sources

kdp book stuck in review Estimated reading time: 13 minutes Key takeaways Most delays are normal: KDP review commonly takes 3–10 business days; longer waits usually mean rights checks, quality flags, or platform glitches. Diagnose first: check email and Quality Notifications, verify files and metadata, and document the title’s identifiers before contacting KDP. Practical fixes:…