The 2023 Fic Deletion Discourse

The 2023 Fic Deletion Discourse is a title used here on Fanlore for this discussion. 
On January 19, 2023, an anonymous ask was submitted to olderthannetfic's Tumblr blog inquiring about authors who were deleting their fanfic in order to republish it professionally. Over the next 3 weeks, the question spurred a vigorous discussion surrounding the practice, expanding on the reasons why fan writers would delete their fanfic, and covering a wide range of readers reactions to the practice. 
Over 200 separate asks were submitted, each drawing dozens of responses. In an effort to capture the complexity of the far ranging discussion, selected comments are included below, arranged thematically.
==The Original Ask==
==Topics Covered in Replies==
===Converting Fanfic To Professional Works===
There was discussion of the difficulties writers face when converting fanfiction to a commercial work, questioning whether it would even be successful.
One anonymous reply argued that pulled to publish fanfic is not annoying and it benefits both writers and readers by exposing the fic to a wider audience:
olderthannetfic countered this argument by saying that the process of converting fanfic to commercially viable novels is the same, if not more, work than writing an original novel, and results often in an inferior product. It rarely succeeds:
This point was repeated several times: that fanfic does not translate well into commercial writing, that the process is arduous and often without much success given the challenges in today's publishing industry. 
Also, writers focusing on writing original fiction vs repurposed fanfic stand a better chance at market success if they focus on writing for a specific targeted market and work alongside other writers with the same commercial goals:
Finally, a few fans pointed out that converting fanfiction to profitable fiction, breaks the concept that fandom is community, based on a gift economy:
A fan writes about when a writer deletes a story that was written as a specific gift as part of a gift exchange:
===Why Do Authors Refuse To Orphan Their Works?===
AO3 is unique in that an author can chose to 'orphan' their fanworks, essentially removing their names but allowing the work to continue to exist. This has led some to ask why this option is not used more frequently. The replies ranged from: "authors are not familiar with the option as is it not offered outside of AO3" to "writers are selfish and want to punish readers for lack of appreciation." 
The concept of orphaning is relatively new to the fandom community, and AO3 is the only fandom platform to date that has built an infrastructure to support it: 
Orphaning can also leave behind stressful reminders which is why some authors chose deletion over orphaning: 
Others dislike orphaning because it means giving up control over their fanworks: 
Some authors say they might orphan their fanworks more often if comments could be also deleted, leaving only the fanwork standing: 
For some authors, orphaning means that their fanworks will continue to exist and that mere existence carries the risk of shame and embarrassment. Only deletion will work for them: 
Others point out that authors rarely are that complex in their reasons for deletion so orphaning is too nuanced an option:
And other authors make it clear that orphaning would be their last choice, spitefully blaming the readers: 
===What Do Authors and Writers Owe Each Other?===
As in previous debates, a large portion of the comments center on which group "owes" what to others. There is an expectation that one side should have the power - and right - to demand something from the other.
Examples of "Authors do not owe the readers anything" arguments:
Another commentator expressed this even more simply: 
And some even pointed this out emphatically in the Tumblr notes: 
===Deletion to Avoid Engagement===
Some fans pointed out that deletion was a tool to reduce engagement - either for the story or for fandom in general:
===Deletion is Sometimes Rooted in Fear===
Some forms of fanworks carry the possibility of greater personal exposure. Here one fan discussed podfic:
Personal risks from family and friends also play a role:
===Deletion: I Am Not Worthy===
Many authors reported that they deleted because they felt embarrassed by their earlier writing or that they felt their efforts were unrecognized and had fallen into a well of silence and indifference:
Many others pointed out that even the smallest tree falling in the forest can make a big noise. The loss of a single story in small fandoms is often felt more keenly:
futureevilscientist replied: 
In response, author jayswing101 wrote: 
===Would Never Delete Again===
Some writers do not regret deleting their fic, but would not choose to delete again:
And others who deleted sometimes regret and mourn the loss of their creations:
Even orphaning can carry regrets:
===Refusing to Delete as a Form of Resistance===
Several voices spoke out against deletion saying that giving into harassment and antis was counter productive and only gave room for the harassment to continue:
Others caution, that taking a stand is not always feasible:
===Deletion With Advance Notice===
===What Does Deletion Accomplish?===
The answer to the question - what does deletion accomplish? - weighed on several fan's minds. One pointed out that if the goal is to limit access to the fic...well, nothing can be erased once it is posted online. 
This thought was expanded in the notes: 
===Entitlement and Selfish Actions===
The concept that readers were "entitled" or "spoiled" came up frequently. Several commentators drew a parallel from the entitled readers to the emergence of Artificial Intelligence art and writing that many perceive to be a threat to creativity and livelihoods:
This was equally balanced by claims that writers deleting fanfic were "selfish" or "cruel'. Commentators even went so far as to compare this to destructive performance art or the loss of historical manuscripts:
In defense of the claim that authors deleting are selfish, one fan pointed out: 
Another commentator felt that the "it's not about you" argument misses an essential point: that those who are deleting fanworks are deliberately ignoring how the deletion impacts others in a community where fanworks are central to the community. And that this choice to ignore the impact, not the deletion itself, is what is being criticized.
Elfwreck expanded on the concept that the act of removal of fanworks is selfish and it is important to acknowledge the impact of the act on others. And it is equally important to also acknowledging the goals and reasons and the necessity behind the choice to delete: 
Perhaps as olderthannetfic put it more simply: One can respect an authors choice for choosing deletion, and still be able to criticize that choice without the criticism being entitlement:
===Emotional Reasoning===
Some fans view the choice to delete fanfic through a personal, emotional lens:
The author's emotions are sometimes seen as leading them into self-harm: 
These emotional reactions can generate an equal and opposite emotional reaction:
===Holes in Community Fabric and Fandom History===
Some replies focused on the impact that deletion can - and does cause - to the community. Instead of focusing on reader vs authors rights and entitlements, they chose to examine how the removal of fanworks breaks the bonds between fans and creates a loss of a shared history:
Several commentators felt that the act of deletion leads creators to treat fellow fans as consumers and not community members:
Which is why AO3's orphaning option or dark web obscuring is favored over deletion by many:
There was disagreement over what should be historically preserved:
Some fans said that is the point of Archive of Our Own, if not to preserve the fanworks? Deletion seems to run counter to AO3's mission statement:
Others were bewildered by the comparison to historical preservation:
And among those fans who mourned the loss of community history, a few may have found possible inspiration to work for more preservation:
===Fandom is Not a Homeowner's Association===
Several fans used capitalism as an analogy for why fan creators should have complete control over the deletion of their fanworks.
One example of a fan arguing for 'fanworks' as products and readers as 'consumers' used the f you don;t like the product, go somewhere else:
Olderthannetfic disagreed with this analogy, saying that fandom was not a homeowner's association, telling owners how to remodel (or even whether to demolish) their homes. Instead it allows fan creators the right to destroy historical buildings - but the neighbors will certainly weigh in on their bad taste and destructive impulses:
===Archiving===
The use of archival tools - whether simply downloading a copy of a deleted story to your hard drive or adding a website to the Internet Archive was often used to illustrate the futility of fan creators deleting fanworks. And in some cases the existence of these tools and practices were seen by some as threats to the creator's autonomy.
===Deletion Through Obscurity===
===Prefer Deletion To WIPS===
One fan said they prefer authors who delete fanfiction to those who abandon works in progress:
===Has Anyone Checked On the Authors Who Are Deleting?===
One voice poignantly asked readers to approach deleting authors with questions, curiosity and understanding instead of anger or suspicion:
===Deletion Everywhere===
As with other discussions surrounding the practice of deleting fanworks, there seemed to always be a few fan creators who demanded that fans delete the copies they downloaded. This is met - almost universally - with incredulity, resistance and non-compliance.
===Can We Get Some Stats Please?===
One fan wondered if there were any statistics about how often fans pulled their fanfic in order professionally publish:
===All Is Dust===
Others view deletion as part of natural lifecycle of life and death:
===TPTB Thoughts===
Professionally published authors predictably favor the author's rights to remove content from circulation. But even they draw the line at breaking into homes to retrieve the works they once created and published:
However, unlike fans, professional authors are not woven into a community fabric where participation and partnership are equally shared among the community. Transformative fandom is unique in that fanworks are a dialog between reader and creator, an interactive exercise in shared creativity.
==References==
Category:Discussion
Category:2023 Meta
Category:Meta on Tumblr