A few things to avoid in academic writing:
1) Do not italicize the comma after a list of titles – that is, italicize only the novel title, not the comma that follows. This is a minor point, but it takes forever for the lowly proofreader to correct.
2) Try not to advertise private companies: if you can avoid Amazon (and refer perhaps to Worldcat), Google (and say “an internet search”), etc., do so.
Such avoidance is, of course, often unavoidable, but keep it in mind.
3) The Oxford comma. If you use it, use it consistently: “ham, eggs, and coffee” on page 4 should not be “ham, eggs and coffee” on page 10 (especially if the same terms are repeated verbatim).
4) Discursive and substantive footnotes and endnotes. Keep ’em short.
(I will add some examples over the next few days.)