How much is appropriate to charge for maintenance/update of a website?

[Leanne]

I currently maintain and update a local companies website as an employee on the side of my actual job description, but am hoping to continue this maintenance on a freelance basis as I will be employed elsewhere. On average I spend 6+ hrs/week. How much should I be charging hourly or monthly for this service? I am also creating eblasts from scratch every other week (sometimes more frequently) as well as contributing graphics, photos, copy and marketing strategies along with updating facebook/twitter pages about twice a week. Keep in mind that I don't have experience professionally as a website developer.

[Bob B]

The rate can vary significantly depending on your expertise and demand for your services. This is an ongoing topic of discussion in the Web Design area at the about.com site. You'll find quite a few articles there on how to go about setting your rates.