Help CenterHow Time-Based Review Timing Works (And What Happens If Your Book Isn't Picked Up in Time)
TLDR;
- Timed tiers set a target, not a guarantee
- As your deadline approaches, our system automatically sweetens the deal with free gifted bonus tokens
- If the window passes, your book gets escalated with bonuses unlocked for a wider audience
- Genre is one wildcard -- niche genres with few buyers may still take longer, even at maximum bonus
- Review options matter -- the more formats you accept (PDF, EPUB, KU, Audible, purchase), the bigger your reviewer pool
The Fast Review system is designed to do the work for you. If you're not seeing activity yet, the bonus escalation is likely already in motion -- but it's also worth reviewing which formats you've made available.
If you've listed a book for a Time-Based Review and selected a speed tier, you might be wondering: what do those timeframes actually mean, and what happens if nobody picks up my book within that window?
This is a great question -- and the honest answer is that there's a lot working behind the scenes to make sure your book gets reviewed. Here's how it all works.
The Speed Tiers
When you submit a book for Time-Based Review, you choose a speed tier. Each one represents a target window for how quickly you'd like your book reviewed:
These windows are goals, not guarantees. What actually determines how fast your book gets picked up is reader demand for your genre and how attractive your book looks to available reviewers -- and that's where the bonus token system comes in.
What Are Bonus Tokens?
Bonus tokens are extra rewards that reviewers earn for picking up your book. The more tokens attached to a book, the more appealing it is to reviewers who are browsing available titles.
Normally, Standard and Limited members cannot earn bonus tokens. Time-Reviews changes that -- it uses bonus tokens as the engine to drive faster pickups.
What Actually Happens During Your Review Window
Here's the timeline of what our system does automatically on your behalf:
As your deadline approaches: Our system begins automatically gifting bonus tokens to your book. You don't have to do anything -- this happens in the background. The closer you get to your final day, the more aggressive the free bonus becomes.
If your window expires and the book still hasn't been claimed: The book moves into the standard member review area -- but with a bonus attached. This is significant because Standard and Limited members do not normally have access to bonus token opportunities. Our system unlocks that access specifically for your book to expand the pool of available reviewers.
The result: Your book is now visible to a to our entire membership with a bonus added.
Why a Book Might Still Take Longer Than Expected
Even with an escalating bonus, there are two factors that no amount of tokens can fully overcome: genre and review options.
Genre: If your book is in a niche genre with a small pool of active readers, the system will hit a ceiling. There is a maximum number of tokens that can be gifted per book, and if your genre simply doesn't have enough active buyers in that category, the timeframe will stretch regardless. This isn't a flaw in the system -- it's an honest reflection of reader demand. A horror thriller with broad appeal will almost always move faster than a highly specialized non-fiction title in a narrow subject area.
Review options: This one is often overlooked. If you're only accepting verified purchase reviews -- meaning the reviewer must buy the book -- you're targeting a smaller audience from the start. Many GBR members prefer or plan to read via PDF or EPUB, and others rely on subscriptions like Kindle Unlimited or Audible. If those options aren't available for your book, those members simply can't help you, regardless of how attractive the bonus is. The more review formats you accept, the larger your potential reviewer pool -- and the faster your book is likely to move.