diff --git a/release.sh b/release.sh
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index 0000000..d418998
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+##############################################################################
+# RELEASING JAVA-OPERATOR-PLUGINS
+#
+# Every java-operator-plugins release should have a corresponding git
+# semantic version tag begining with `v`, for example: `v1.2.3`.
+#
+# STEP 1: Create a release branch with the name vX.Y.x.
+#         For example: git checkout -b v1.2.x
+#
+# STEP 2: Run this release script by providing the java-operator-plugins
+#         release version as an argument in the above mentioned format.
+#         For example: ./release.sh vX.Y.Z
+#
+# STEP 3: This script will create a release tag locally. YOU, the releaser,
+#         will push the release branch and tag:
+#
+#           git push upstream <release-branch>
+#           git push upstream <tag-name>
+#
+#         where <tag-name> is the release version.
+#
+# STEP 4: Update the release notes in github with the changes included in
+#         corresponding java-operator-plugins version.
+##############################################################################
+
+set -eu
+
+if [[ $# != 1 ]]; then
+	echo "usage: $0 vX.Y.Z"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+CUR_BRANCH=`git branch --show-current`
+VER=$1
+NUMRE="0|[1-9][0-9]*"
+PRERE="\-(alpha|beta|rc)\.[1-9][0-9]*"
+
+# check that we are in a release branch
+if ! [[ "$CUR_BRANCH" =~ ^v($NUMRE)\.($NUMRE)\.($NUMRE)($PRERE)?$ ]]; then
+	echo "branch: \"$CUR_BRANCH\" is not a release branch, please create a release branch in the form of vX.Y.x"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+# verify the version format
+if ! [[ "$VER" =~ ^v($NUMRE)\.($NUMRE)\.($NUMRE)($PRERE)?$ ]]; then
+	echo "malformed version: \"$VER\""
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+# make sure we don't have anything uncommitted lying around
+if ! git diff-index --quiet HEAD --; then
+	echo "directory has uncommitted files"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+# run tests
+echo "Running tests"
+make lint test
+
+# tag the release commit and verify its tag
+echo "Creating a new tag for java-operator-plugins version $VER"
+git tag --sign --message "java-operator-plugins $VER" "$VER"
+git verify-tag --verbose $VER
+
+# remind the releaser to do the next steps
+echo ""
+echo "Don't forget to:"
+echo ""
+echo "git push upstream <release-branch>"
+echo "git push upstream $VER"
+echo ""
+echo "Also update the release notes in github for this tag."
diff --git a/release/NewRelease b/release/NewRelease
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000