In the past week or so, there have been two major announcements that help point the direction that global publishers are going.

First, HarperCollins rolled out their HarperCollins 360 global publishing program–an initiative designed to make all of Harper’s English-language titles–no matter where published–available in every market around the world. Distribution will be restricted only by rights, not by “technology or geography.” This addresses one of the big issues for global publishers–making their content available wherever the customer expects to find it. If I read about a book in a blog, hear about it on Twitter, or discover it via search, but can’t buy it in my market, then I’m lost as a customer.

A few days later, Holtzbrinck’s Macmillan announced that they would restructure their global business along verticals rather than by geographies. In the publishing part of their world, this creates two global businesses–one is focused on trade and the other on their Science & Education business. Instead of “multi-domestic” publishers, with a regional focus, Macmillan will run these lines of business globally–joining up resources across boundaries to open up new opportunities.

Both of these initiatives seek to take advantage of key trends around digitization and globalization of the publishing business–the lack of borders in digital/online channels, the ability to drive worldwide discovery through digital marketing including social media, the rise of alternative means of book delivery (POD, eBook), a growing global customer base that expects to find the book they want wherever they are.

For many big international publishers, especially in English-language, there are opportunities to create centralized, global services within their businesses (marketing, finance, operations for example) to drive collaboration, share ideas, and create an impact for global author brands. Not coincidentally, these globalized departments should be able to create efficiencies for the business–not just in cost savings, but in cost avoidance, and new revenue streams.

However, despite the promised upside, these new structures will require people to think differently about their roles. For example, if my email campaign launched from Singapore drives customer demand in Australia, the order is fulfilled through an online retailer in the UK, and that retailer bought stock through a US wholesaler, should the US sales rep get that credit? These are tricky questions for organizations that are used to managing their business locally.

It’s no coincidence that two of the major international publishers are looking at their global businesses in a new way. Expect to see more publishers follow suit driven by digital trends, customer expectations, and new opportunities.