diff --git a/RELEASE.md b/RELEASE.md
index ad8d875..946f18e 100644
--- a/RELEASE.md
+++ b/RELEASE.md
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
-replace <rc-version> in the below steps with your rc version, e.g. 1.8.0-rc3
+replace \<rc-version\> in the below steps with your rc version, e.g. 1.8.0-rc3
 
 git clone https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf/activemq-nms-api.git
 
@@ -7,18 +7,18 @@
 
 build project
 
-git tag -m "tag <rc-version>" <rc-version>
-git push origin <rc-version>
+git tag -m "tag \<rc-version\>" \<rc-version\>
+git push origin \<rc-version\>
 
 svn checkout rc dist dev https://dist.apache.org/repos/dist/dev/activemq/activemq-nms-api
 
-create folder for rc, e.g. mkdir <rc-version>
+create folder for rc, e.g. mkdir \<rc-version\>
 
 copy all contents from package dir from project into the rc folder.
 
 sign the files, you will find a helper script "sign-release.sh", invoke it as
 
- ./sign-release.sh <rc-version> <your-gpg-password>
+ ./sign-release.sh \<rc-version\> \<your-gpg-password\>
  
 commit all files into the rc dist dev repo.