A more thorough explanation:

The single-publication rule is a legal principle that limits the number of claims a plaintiff can make against a publisher in a libel suit. According to this doctrine, a plaintiff can only bring one claim for each mass publication, rather than a claim for every book or issue in that run.

For example, if a newspaper publishes an article that defames a person, that person can only bring one claim against the newspaper, even if the article is published in multiple editions of the newspaper. The single-publication rule prevents the plaintiff from filing multiple claims for the same defamatory statement.

Another example would be if a book is published and contains a defamatory statement about a person. The single-publication rule would limit the plaintiff to only one claim against the publisher, even if the book is reprinted or sold in multiple editions.

The single-publication rule is designed to prevent a flood of lawsuits against publishers for the same defamatory statement. It also helps to ensure that publishers are not unfairly burdened with multiple claims for the same publication.