Just wanna let any AO3 authors out there know that instead of deleting all of your work, you also have the option of Orphaning your fanfics. The fic is removed from your library and any association the fic has to you is completely wiped from all chapters and comments, while allowing the fanfic as a whole to still be enjoyed by the community.
I’ve lost so many beautiful stories from my bookmarks, and I wonder how many of them could still be there if authors knew about this.