diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 330fbb456..453d469e4 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
 
 AC_PREREQ([2.66])
-AC_INIT(swupd-client, 4.2.1, castulo.martinez@intel.com)
+AC_INIT(swupd-client, 5.0.0, william.douglas@intel.com)
 AM_PROG_AR
 LT_INIT
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
diff --git a/how-to-make-a-release b/how-to-make-a-release
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..529772a4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/how-to-make-a-release
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+1) update configure.ac with new version
+2) commit and tag new version with configure.ac changes
+3) make dist && make distcheck
+4) push to github and upload dist tar
+