diff --git a/src/Composer/Command/InitCommand.php b/src/Composer/Command/InitCommand.php
index d8ebe2e09..74059dee6 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Command/InitCommand.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Command/InitCommand.php
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class InitCommand extends BaseCommand
                 new InputOption('description', null, InputOption::VALUE_REQUIRED, 'Description of package'),
                 new InputOption('author', null, InputOption::VALUE_REQUIRED, 'Author name of package'),
                 // new InputOption('version', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Version of package'),
-                new InputOption('type', null, InputOption::VALUE_OPTIONAL, 'Type of package'),
+                new InputOption('type', null, InputOption::VALUE_OPTIONAL, 'Type of package (e.g. library, project, metapackage, composer-plugin)'),
                 new InputOption('homepage', null, InputOption::VALUE_REQUIRED, 'Homepage of package'),
                 new InputOption('require', null, InputOption::VALUE_IS_ARRAY | InputOption::VALUE_REQUIRED, 'Package to require with a version constraint, e.g. foo/bar:1.0.0 or foo/bar=1.0.0 or "foo/bar 1.0.0"'),
                 new InputOption('require-dev', null, InputOption::VALUE_IS_ARRAY | InputOption::VALUE_REQUIRED, 'Package to require for development with a version constraint, e.g. foo/bar:1.0.0 or foo/bar=1.0.0 or "foo/bar 1.0.0"'),
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ EOT
 
         $type = $input->getOption('type') ?: false;
         $type = $io->ask(
-            'Package Type [<comment>'.$type.'</comment>]: ',
+            'Package Type (e.g. library, project, metapackage, composer-plugin) [<comment>'.$type.'</comment>]: ',
             $type
         );
         $input->setOption('type', $type);