diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5de380e..4835ed6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,3 +1,121 @@
-# Payload
+# Payload [![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/juliaaano/payload.svg)](https://travis-ci.org/juliaaano/payload) [![Release](https://img.shields.io/github/release/juliaaano/payload.svg)](https://github.com/juliaaano/payload/releases/latest)
 
 Easy conversion of HTTP payloads (JSON, XML, etc.) for Java.
+
+Payload acts as a Java-to-<MediaTypeAsString> facade or abstraction for various libraries such as Gson, Jackson, JAXB
+and more. The underlying library used is known as the Provider and it gets evaluated in runtime by classpath lookup.
+
+Conceptually similar to what [SLF4J](https://www.slf4j.org/) does for logging. 
+
+## How to use it
+
+```java
+import static com.juliaaano.payload.MediaType.*;
+
+class MyObject {
+  String value = "abc";
+  MyObject() {
+    // no-args constructor
+  }
+}
+
+/* Serialization */
+
+Payload<MyObject> jsonPayload = JSON.payload().newInstance(new MyObject());
+String json = jsonPayload.raw();
+// ==> json is {"value":"abc"}
+
+Payload<MyObject> xmlPayload = XML.payload().newInstance(new MyObject());
+String xml = xmlPayload.raw();
+// ==> xml is <Dummy><value>abc</value></Dummy>
+
+/* Deserialization */
+
+Payload<MyObject> payload_1 = JSON.payload().newInstance(json, MyObject.class);
+MyObject obj_1 = payload_1.get();
+
+Payload<MyObject>  payload_2 = XML.payload().newInstance(xml, MyObject.class);
+MyObject obj_2 = payload_2.get();
+```
+
+## Build and install
+
+Payload does not bring any transitive dependencies, however it is required to deliberately have at least one of the
+pre defined providers in the classpath. You can also [implement your own](#custom-provider). 
+
+#### Maven
+
+```xml
+<dependency>
+    <groupId>com.juliaaano</groupId>
+    <artifactId>payload</artifactId>
+    <version>${TO-BE-RELEASED}</version>
+</dependency>
+```
+
+In case you just need JSON conversion, add [Google Gson](https://github.com/google/gson) or any of the
+other JSON pre defined [providers](#providers).
+
+```xml
+<dependency>
+    <groupId>com.google.code.gson</groupId>
+    <artifactId>gson</artifactId>
+    <version>${gson.version}</version>
+    <scope>runtime</scope>
+</dependency>
+```
+
+### Providers
+
+This library does not do any (de)serialization itself. It depends on finding in the classpath one of the
+following:
+
+###### JSON
+
+* Gson
+* Jackson
+* JsonB
+
+###### XML
+
+* Jackson
+* JAXB
+
+In case one or more are to be found, the priority is given by the order listed above.
+
+###### Custom Provider
+
+1. Implement one of the available <MediaType>ProviderFactory.java.
+2. Declare the full name of your implementation class in a file as per
+[java.util.ServiceLoader](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/ext/basics/spi.html) specification
+*/META-INF/services/com.juliaaano.payload.json.<MediaType>ProviderFactor*
+
+```java
+package com.your.project;
+public class MyProvider implements JsonProviderFactory {
+  @Override
+  public Optional<Provider> newInstance() {
+    return Optional.of(new Provider() {
+      @Override
+      public String serialize(Object object) {
+        return "your way to serialize";
+      }
+      @Override
+      public <T> T deserialize(String raw, Class<T> type) {
+        return null; // your way to deserialize
+      }
+    });
+  }
+}
+```
+
+/META-INF/services/com.juliaaano.payload.json.JsonProviderFactory
+```
+com.your.project.MyProvider
+```   
+
+## Further Details
+
+Requires Java 8.
+
+// TODO
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 1218335..9f5bf3f 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
     <groupId>com.juliaaano</groupId>
     <artifactId>payload</artifactId>
-    <version>1.0.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
     <packaging>jar</packaging>
 
     <name>Payload</name>