diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index a9d841536..48689d790 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ jobs:
           config-file: release-please-config.json
       - run: |
           npm i
-          npm publish
+          npm publish --tag next
         name: Publish packages
         env:
           NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/release-please-config.json b/release-please-config.json
index 83fbab8a3..26588ffe1 100644
--- a/release-please-config.json
+++ b/release-please-config.json
@@ -6,10 +6,9 @@
       "release-type": "node",
       "bump-minor-pre-major": false,
       "bump-patch-for-minor-pre-major": false,
-      "draft": false,
+      "draft": true,
       "prerelease": false,
-      "include-component-in-tag":false,
-      "release-as": "next"
+      "include-component-in-tag":false
     }
   },
   "$schema": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/googleapis/release-please/main/schemas/config.json"