diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5d5eaaf..a82ef35 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # quarto-book-template
 Template repository for creating a book powered by Quarto and Rendered by GitHub Actions onto GitHub Pages
 
-
 ## Overview
 
 The repository holds: 
@@ -14,3 +13,22 @@ Additional files:
 
 - [`requirements.txt`](requirements.txt): List of Python Packages to install
 - [`DESCRIPTION`](DESCRIPTION): List of R Packages using the standard DESCRIPTION file to install with `pak`.
+
+## Publishing with GitHub Actions
+
+Included in the repository is a custom GitHub Action that will automatically render and deploy the book onto GitHub Pages. 
+Before the first run of the GitHub Action, please make sure to use locally in terminal the following:
+
+```sh
+quarto publish gh-pages
+```
+
+This command [initializes the `gh-pages` branch and turns on GitHub Pages for the repository](https://quarto.org/docs/publishing/github-pages.html#source-branch).
+
+If you do not run this command before the first GitHub Action is triggered, you will likely encounter the following error message in the build log:
+
+```sh
+ERROR: No _publish.yml file available (_publish.yml specifying a destination required for non-interactive publish)
+```
+
+To avoid this issue, please make sure to run the GitHub Action locally so that GitHub can render and publish your Quarto document after every push to the repository.