diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c2f31a7..8aa7acc 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
      - Better support for optional parts.
      - New: Start `BUILD` parts at `1000` to avoid leading zero truncation.
  - New gitlab #10: `--pin-date` to keep date parts unchanged, and only increment non-date parts.
+ - New add `--release-num` to increment the `alphaN`/`betaN`/`a0`/`b0`/etc. release number
  - Fix gitlab #8: Push tags only pushed tags, not actual commit.
  - Fix gitlab #9: Make commit message configurable.
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index db3fe38..d02232c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -591,15 +591,16 @@ TODO: Descriptions
 
 TODO: Descriptions
 
-|  CLI Argument | Description |
-|---------------|-------------|
-| --major       |             |
-| --minor       |             |
-| --patch       |             |
-| --pin-date    |             |
-| --no-fetch    |             |
-| --dry         |             |
-| --allow-dirty |             |
+|   CLI Argument   | Description |
+|------------------|-------------|
+| --major          |             |
+| -m --minor       |             |
+| -p --patch       |             |
+| -r --release-num |             |
+| --pin-date       |             |
+| --no-fetch       |             |
+| --dry            |             |
+| --allow-dirty    |             |
 
 
 ## The PyCalVer Format
diff --git a/src/pycalver/__main__.py b/src/pycalver/__main__.py
index 8f3dc41..0c28381 100755
--- a/src/pycalver/__main__.py
+++ b/src/pycalver/__main__.py
@@ -85,14 +85,19 @@ def cli(verbose: int = 0) -> None:
 @click.argument("pattern", default="{pycalver}")
 @click.option('-v', '--verbose', count=True, help="Control log level. -vv for debug level.")
 @click.option(
-    "--release", default=None, metavar="<name>", help="Override release name of current_version"
+    "--release",
+    default=None,
+    metavar="<name>",
+    help=(
+        f"Override release name of current_version. Valid options are: "
+        f"{', '.join(VALID_RELEASE_VALUES)}."
+    ),
 )
 @click.option("--major", is_flag=True, default=False, help="Increment major component.")
-@click.option("--minor", is_flag=True, default=False, help="Increment minor component.")
-@click.option("--patch", is_flag=True, default=False, help="Increment patch component.")
-@click.option(
-    "-p", "--pin-date", is_flag=True, default=False, help="Leave date components unchanged."
-)
+@click.option("-m", "--minor", is_flag=True, default=False, help="Increment minor component.")
+@click.option("-p", "--patch", is_flag=True, default=False, help="Increment patch component.")
+@click.option("-r", "--release-num", is_flag=True, default=False, help="Increment release number.")
+@click.option("--pin-date", is_flag=True, default=False, help="Leave date components unchanged.")
 def test(
     old_version: str,
     pattern    : str  = "{pycalver}",
@@ -101,6 +106,7 @@ def test(
     major      : bool = False,
     minor      : bool = False,
     patch      : bool = False,
+    release_num: bool = False,
     pin_date   : bool = False,
 ) -> None:
     """Increment a version number for demo purposes."""
@@ -117,6 +123,7 @@ def test(
         major=major,
         minor=minor,
         patch=patch,
+        release_num=release_num,
         pin_date=pin_date,
     )
     if new_version is None:
@@ -193,6 +200,7 @@ def _incr(
     major   : bool = False,
     minor   : bool = False,
     patch   : bool = False,
+    release_num: bool = False,
     pin_date: bool = False,
 ) -> typ.Optional[str]:
     v1_parts    = list(v1patterns.PART_PATTERNS) + list(v1patterns.FULL_PART_FORMATS)
@@ -205,6 +213,7 @@ def _incr(
             major=major,
             minor=minor,
             patch=patch,
+            release_num=release_num,
             pin_date=pin_date,
         )
     else:
@@ -215,6 +224,7 @@ def _incr(
             major=major,
             minor=minor,
             patch=patch,
+            release_num=release_num,
             pin_date=pin_date,
         )
 
@@ -346,11 +356,10 @@ def _update_cfg_from_vcs(cfg: config.Config, fetch: bool) -> config.Config:
     ),
 )
 @click.option("--major", is_flag=True, default=False, help="Increment major component.")
-@click.option("--minor", is_flag=True, default=False, help="Increment minor component.")
-@click.option("--patch", is_flag=True, default=False, help="Increment patch component.")
-@click.option(
-    "-p", "--pin-date", is_flag=True, default=False, help="Leave date components unchanged."
-)
+@click.option("-m", "--minor", is_flag=True, default=False, help="Increment minor component.")
+@click.option("-p", "--patch", is_flag=True, default=False, help="Increment patch component.")
+@click.option("-r", "--release-num", is_flag=True, default=False, help="Increment release number.")
+@click.option("--pin-date", is_flag=True, default=False, help="Leave date components unchanged.")
 def bump(
     release    : typ.Optional[str] = None,
     verbose    : int  = 0,
@@ -360,6 +369,7 @@ def bump(
     major      : bool = False,
     minor      : bool = False,
     patch      : bool = False,
+    release_num: bool = False,
     pin_date   : bool = False,
 ) -> None:
     """Increment the current version string and update project files."""
@@ -386,6 +396,7 @@ def bump(
         major=major,
         minor=minor,
         patch=patch,
+        release_num=release_num,
         pin_date=pin_date,
     )
 
diff --git a/src/pycalver/v1version.py b/src/pycalver/v1version.py
index 978eb39..7659d8e 100644
--- a/src/pycalver/v1version.py
+++ b/src/pycalver/v1version.py
@@ -378,6 +378,7 @@ def incr(
     major   : bool = False,
     minor   : bool = False,
     patch   : bool = False,
+    release_num: bool = False,
     pin_date: bool = False,
 ) -> typ.Optional[str]:
     """Increment version string.
@@ -400,14 +401,16 @@ def incr(
 
     cur_vinfo = cur_vinfo._replace(bid=lexid.next_id(cur_vinfo.bid))
 
-    if release:
-        cur_vinfo = cur_vinfo._replace(tag=release)
     if major:
         cur_vinfo = cur_vinfo._replace(major=cur_vinfo.major + 1, minor=0, patch=0)
     if minor:
         cur_vinfo = cur_vinfo._replace(minor=cur_vinfo.minor + 1, patch=0)
     if patch:
         cur_vinfo = cur_vinfo._replace(patch=cur_vinfo.patch + 1)
+    if release_num:
+        cur_vinfo = cur_vinfo._replace(num=cur_vinfo.num + 1)
+    if release:
+        cur_vinfo = cur_vinfo._replace(tag=release)
 
     new_version = format_version(cur_vinfo, raw_pattern)
     if new_version == old_version:
diff --git a/src/pycalver/v2version.py b/src/pycalver/v2version.py
index fcf53ac..a4ef187 100644
--- a/src/pycalver/v2version.py
+++ b/src/pycalver/v2version.py
@@ -519,6 +519,7 @@ def incr(
     major   : bool = False,
     minor   : bool = False,
     patch   : bool = False,
+    release_num: bool = False,
     pin_date: bool = False,
 ) -> typ.Optional[str]:
     """Increment version string.
@@ -545,14 +546,18 @@ def incr(
 
     cur_vinfo = cur_vinfo._replace(bid=lexid.next_id(cur_vinfo.bid))
 
-    if release:
-        cur_vinfo = cur_vinfo._replace(tag=release)
     if major:
         cur_vinfo = cur_vinfo._replace(major=cur_vinfo.major + 1, minor=0, patch=0)
     if minor:
         cur_vinfo = cur_vinfo._replace(minor=cur_vinfo.minor + 1, patch=0)
     if patch:
         cur_vinfo = cur_vinfo._replace(patch=cur_vinfo.patch + 1)
+    if release_num:
+        cur_vinfo = cur_vinfo._replace(num=cur_vinfo.num + 1)
+    if release:
+        if release != cur_vinfo.tag:
+            cur_vinfo = cur_vinfo._replace(num=0)
+        cur_vinfo = cur_vinfo._replace(tag=release)
 
     # TODO (mb 2020-09-20): New Rollover Behaviour:
     #   Reset major, minor, patch to zero if any part to the left of it is incremented