diff --git a/docs/release-guide.md b/docs/release-guide.md
index 73aaecfb6c..f50ddf611f 100644
--- a/docs/release-guide.md
+++ b/docs/release-guide.md
@@ -3,23 +3,27 @@
 ## Semi-automatic
 
 1. Make sure your repo is clean by git's standards
-2. Tag the repository and push the tag `VERSION=v0.10.0 git tag -m $VERSION $VERSION; git push origin $VERSION`
-3. Publish a draft release using the tag you just created
-4. Perform the [image promotion process](https://github.com/kubernetes/k8s.io/tree/master/k8s.gcr.io#image-promoter)
-5. Publish release
-6. Email `kubernetes-sig-scheduling@googlegroups.com` to announce the release
-
-## Manual
-
-1. Make sure your repo is clean by git's standards
-2. Tag the repository and push the tag `VERSION=v0.10.0 git tag -m $VERSION $VERSION; git push origin $VERSION`
-3. Checkout the tag you just created and make sure your repo is clean by git's standards `git checkout $VERSION`
-4. Build and push the container image to the staging registry `VERSION=$VERSION make push`
+2. Create a release branch `git checkout -b release-1.18` (not required for patch releases)
+3. Push the release branch to the descheuler repo and ensure branch protection is enabled (not required for patch releases)
+4. Tag the repository and push the tag `VERSION=v0.18.0 git tag -m $VERSION $VERSION; git push origin $VERSION`
 5. Publish a draft release using the tag you just created
 6. Perform the [image promotion process](https://github.com/kubernetes/k8s.io/tree/master/k8s.gcr.io#image-promoter)
 7. Publish release
 8. Email `kubernetes-sig-scheduling@googlegroups.com` to announce the release
 
+## Manual
+
+1. Make sure your repo is clean by git's standards
+2. Create a release branch `git checkout -b release-1.18` (not required for patch releases)
+3. Push the release branch to the descheuler repo and ensure branch protection is enabled (not required for patch releases)
+4. Tag the repository and push the tag `VERSION=v0.18.0 git tag -m $VERSION $VERSION; git push origin $VERSION`
+5. Checkout the tag you just created and make sure your repo is clean by git's standards `git checkout $VERSION`
+6. Build and push the container image to the staging registry `VERSION=$VERSION make push`
+7. Publish a draft release using the tag you just created
+8. Perform the [image promotion process](https://github.com/kubernetes/k8s.io/tree/master/k8s.gcr.io#image-promoter)
+9. Publish release
+10. Email `kubernetes-sig-scheduling@googlegroups.com` to announce the release
+
 ## Notes
 See [post-descheduler-push-images dashboard](https://testgrid.k8s.io/sig-scheduling#post-descheduler-push-images) for staging registry image build job status.