diff --git a/.bumpversion.cfg b/.bumpversion.cfg
deleted file mode 100644
index f630140..0000000
--- a/.bumpversion.cfg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-[bumpversion]
-current_version = 1.0.0.9000
-commit = False
-tag = False
-
-[bumpversion:file:DESCRIPTION]
-
-[bumpversion:file:R/constants.R]
diff --git a/DEVELOPMENT.md b/DEVELOPMENT.md
index 63e3340..cd7d75a 100644
--- a/DEVELOPMENT.md
+++ b/DEVELOPMENT.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ## Setting up the development environment
 
 ```r
-install.packages(c('devtools', 'pkgdown', 'styler', 'lintr')) # install dev dependencies
+pak::pkg_install(c('devtools', 'pkgdown', 'styler', 'lintr')) # install dev dependencies
 devtools::install_deps(dependencies = TRUE) # install package dependencies
 devtools::document() # generate package meta data and man files
 devtools::build() # build package
@@ -45,20 +45,36 @@ python -m http.server -d docs
 Please follow the guidelines in the [PR template document](.github/pull_request_template.md).
 
 ## Release process
-First, there's a handy function that makes a github issue; for example, at the time of writing we were doing:
-```R
-usethis::use_release_issue(version = "1.0.2")
-```
-If you want to extend it, add to the `release_bullets` function in [utils.R](https://github.com/cmu-delphi/epidatr/blob/dev/R/utils.R).
- First, make sure that all the checks pass
-
-```R
-devtools::check(".", manual = TRUE, env_vars =c(NOT_CRAN = "false"))
-```
 
-Aim for 10/10, no notes. Generally, follow the issue. `revdep_check` is likely to fail but doesn't seem to be terribly important. So for now ignore it.
-
-When this has gone smoothly enough, release to CRAN via
-```R
-devtools::release(check = TRUE)
-```
+Open a release issue and then copy and follow this checklist in the issue (modified from the checklist generated by `usethis::use_release_issue(version = "1.0.2")`):
+
+- [ ] `git pull`
+- [ ] Check [current CRAN check results](https://cran.rstudio.org/web/checks/check_results_epidatr.html)
+- [ ] `devtools::check(".", manual = TRUE, env_vars = c(NOT_CRAN = "false"))`.
+  - Aim for 10/10, no notes.
+- [ ] If check works well enough, merge to main. Otherwise open a PR to fix up.
+- [ ] [Polish NEWS](https://github.com/cmu-delphi/epidatr/blob/dev/NEWS.md).
+  - Some [guidelines](https://style.tidyverse.org/news.html#news-release).
+- [ ] `git checkout main`
+- [ ] `git pull`
+- [ ] `urlchecker::url_check()`.
+  - This may choke on the MIT license url, and that's ok.
+- [ ] `devtools::build_readme()`
+- [ ] `devtools::check_win_devel()`
+- [ ] Check email for problems
+- [ ] `revdepcheck::revdep_check(num_workers = 4)`.
+  - This may choke, it is very sensitive to the binary versions of packages on a given system. Either bypass or ask someone else to run it if you're concerned.
+- [ ] Update `cran-comments.md`
+- [ ] PR with any changes
+
+Submit to CRAN:
+
+- [ ] `devtools::submit_cran()`
+- [ ] Approve email
+
+Wait for CRAN...
+
+- [ ] Accepted :tada:
+- [ ] `dev`
+- [ ] `usethis::use_github_release(publish = FALSE)` (publish off, otherwise it won't push).
+- [ ] check the release notes and publish the branch on github
diff --git a/README.Rmd b/README.Rmd
index 51f3670..744b4df 100644
--- a/README.Rmd
+++ b/README.Rmd
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ pak::pkg_install("epidatr")
 pak::pkg_install("cmu-delphi/epidatr@dev")
 ```
 
+Our CRAN listing is [here](https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/epidatr/index.html).
+
 ### API Keys
 
 The Delphi API requires a (free) API key for full functionality. To generate
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e849ac2..e7598e4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ pak::pkg_install("epidatr")
 pak::pkg_install("cmu-delphi/epidatr@dev")
 ```
 
+Our CRAN listing is
+[here](https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/epidatr/index.html).
+
 ### API Keys
 
 The Delphi API requires a (free) API key for full functionality. To